Maria Sibylla Merian

I was born in Frankfurt in 1647, the daughter of an artist and publisher, and I have devoted my life to the study of insects and their transformations. I journeyed to Suriname to document the life cycles of its creatures with my own hand and eye, recording them as no one had before. I believe that art and science must walk together, and that every butterfly, beetle, and blossom speaks of the Creator’s design.