Maria Sibylla Merian was a 17th century artist and scholar whose drawings depicted the botanical world. Her most famous works come from her trip to Suriname, where she documented the natural world and insects there. Her artwork is celebrated for its immense detail as well as contributions it brought to natural science. She is internationally acclaimed and her work is displayed in museums all over the world. 

Maria Sibyllas popularity grew after her 1699-1701 trip to Suriname in South America. Accompanied by her daughter Dorothea, Maria traveled to South America to document the plants and insects there. As a result of this exhibition, she created her most famous work titled Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium  (The transformation of insects of Suriname). Upon her arrival back to Amsterdam, this work was published and brought her international fame. Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium consists of 60 engraved plates showing the life cycles of various insects as well as studies on plants and animals in the region. In addition to these engravings, Maria added notes on other observations she made about the natural world of Suriname. The publication of Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium contributed heavily to studies in natural science and to the art world. Maria worked alongside her daughters Dorothea and Johanna who were trained as her assistants. 

Maria Sibylla Merian’s legacy comes from her independence and her drive to establish herself successfully as an artist. Her trip to Suriname with only her one daughter proved her to be an unorthodox figure of her time, but the discoveries she made during that trip established her as a triumphant figure. 

Getting the opportunity to look through a microscope after not having used one for many years was a very inspiring experience. Seeing specimens that I encounter everyday enlarged was surreal and it was fascinating to see what makes up these organisms. For example, the scales on the monarch butterfly’s wings are invisible to the naked eye, but when examined under a microscope, they are very beautiful to inspect. Being able to look at different specimens (feathers, flowers and insects) helps you realize how beautiful everyday things look. We pass by flowers and leaves constantly but never really consider what they are made of and what they look like on a microscopic level.

I personally enjoyed examining the bee wing under the microscope. Getting to see the delicacy of such a small creature is truly amazing and changes your perspective on the insect. They are fragile and seeing what their wings are made of proves that. I also very much enjoyed seeing the flower stems underneath the microscope. Looking at the small “hair-like” features that they have is so interesting and sparked my curiosity on what else resides on these stems. There are hundreds of smaller insects and organisms that live on these specimens and I was given the luxury of viewing a small glimpse of this whole other world.

The topic of microscopy is so vast and is something that has piqued my interest after this trip to the lab. I enjoyed seeing a small fraction of a world smaller than my own and I would love to further research microorganisms and their makeups. I left the microbiology lab feeling inspired and excited to learn more as well as create my own art based on microscopy.

 

Anicka Yi is a conceptual artist whose artwork captures all the senses. Her experimentation in creating her artwork leads her to unconventional mediums that she uses to engage her audience. Yi blurs the lines between what is human, plant, animal or machine by questioning people’s sense of perception in her work. Her work has been featured in museums around the globe and she was recently awarded the Tate Modern Turbine Hall Hundyai Commission.