Caterpillars, Butterflies, and Flower, 1705 (1705-1771)
After Maria Sibylla Merianexpand_more
Etching and engravingexpand_more
The Minnich Collection The Ethel Morrison Van DerLip Fund, 1966expand_more P.18,716
Not on Viewexpand_more
When Merian returned home from Suriname in 1701 she was suffering from malaria and mental exhaustion after two years of work in South America. She was not able to incise her own copperplates so the prints could be made for Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamesium, and entrusted this job to a talented team of engravers. They studied the watercolors Merian had completed in Suriname and created intaglio prints using a combination of etching and engraving, such as Caterpillars, Butterflies, and Flower. The images were then hand-colored following Merian's original watercolor. A large group of the original Suriname watercolors are held in the collection of the British Museum in London.
Details
- Title
- Caterpillars, Butterflies, and Flower
- Artist Life
- 1647-1717
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.18,716
- Provenance
- Dwight and Helen Minnich, Minneapolis; sold to MIA, 1966.
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Nissen: 1342; Cat. Ger. Nat'l. Museum, 1967
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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