
Suriname
Maria Sibylla Merian and her daughter Dorothea set sail for Suriname in June 1699. The voyage normally took around two months, and on arrival they took a house in the capital, Paramaribo. From here, Merian began her work, heading out into the surrounding forests with local guides in search of caterpillars to rear and study. Her first recorded observation took place in October 1699, and she continued her research until she was forced to return home due to ill health in June 1701.
Merian’s primary reason for visiting Suriname was to study insect metamorphosis, but she was also interested in the plants and animals she saw. She was critical of the concentration of European settlers on sugar production and, considered how other natural products from Suriname could be cultivated and used.
The watercolours of Suriname on display in this section are luxury versions of the plates from the Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, which Merian published in 1705.
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Branch of Banana with Bullseye Moth
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Pineapple with Cockroaches
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Ripe Pineapple with Dido Longwing Butterfly
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Branch of Pomelo with Green-Banded Urania Moth
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Grape Vine with Vine Sphinx Moth and Satellite Sphinx Moth
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Grape Vine with Gaudy Sphinx Moth
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Papapya plant with Nymphidium butterfly
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Confederate Rose with Androgeus Swallowtail Butterfly
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Costus plant with Banana Stem Borer Moth
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Branch of Duroia eriopila with Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Frangipani plant with Red Cracker Butterfly
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Barbados Lily with Bullseye Moth and Leaf-Footed Bug
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Branch of the Gumbo-Limbo Tree with White Witch Moth
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Branch of Cardinal's Guard with Idomeneus Giant Owl Butterfly
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Peacock Flower with Carolina Sphinx Moth
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Branch of an unidentified tree with Menelaus Blue Morpho Butterfly
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Cotton-Leaf Physicnut with Giant Sphinx Moth
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Branch of Pomegranate with Lanternfly and Cicada
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Branch of Nipple Fruit with Leaf Mantis and Bean Leaf Skeletonizer
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Pomegranate and Menelaus Blue Morpho Butterfly
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Water Hyacinth with Marbled or Veined Tree-Frogs and Giant Water-Bugs
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Shoreline Purslane and Suriname Toad
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Banana with Teucer Owl Butterfly and Rainbow Whiptail Lizard
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Branch of Seville Orange with Rothschildia moth
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Mexican Primrose-Willow with Madoryx bubastus moth
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)