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New exhibition in London explores work of Maria Sibylla Merian

Xinhua, April 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

A new exhibition here exploring the remarkable life and work of 17th-century artist and naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian is to open at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace on Friday, the Royal Collection Trust said on Thursday.

Telling the extraordinary story of Merian through her works in the Royal Collection, Merian's Butterflies presents images of the natural world. Several of her pieces in the exhibition are going on public display for the first time.

Of the 49 watercolors included in the exhibition, many depict the flora and fauna of Suriname, taken from Merian's ground-breaking publication Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, published in 1705.

Partially printed and partially hand-painted on large sheets of vellum by the artist, these versions of the Metamorphosis plates were collected by King George III for his scientific library at Buckingham House.

One of the leading naturalists of her day, Merian developed an interest in the life cycle of insects from a young age and her curiosity led her to undertake an unusual and dangerous expedition to study specimens in the wild.

In 1699, aged 52, Merian travelled to the Dutch colony of Suriname in South America. Without any official patronage and selling the contents of her studio in Amsterdam to finance the journey, Merian, accompanied by her daughter Dorothea, undertook the arduous two-month journey across the Atlantic.

Merian and her daughter settled in the country's capital Paramaribo and for two years worked in the hot and humid climate, making trips into the rainforest to collect insects. They nurtured the caterpillars they collected and recorded the transformation from chrysalis to butterfly in beautiful detailed drawings.

The watercolors with the artist's annotations later formed the basis of Merian's Metamorphosis publication.

Merian's studies were not limited to insects. She also made colorful drawings of the lizards, crocodiles and snakes of South America, including a Golden Tegu lizard -- an aggressive creature native to Suriname and one of the largest lizards in the world.

Exhibition curator Kate Heard of Royal Collection Trust said: "Merian's determination to understand the world around her took her on an incredible adventure, and her artistic skill allowed her to express her findings through truly beautiful works of art. Her watercolours remain as fascinating to us today as they were when they were first painted."

Royal Collection Trust, a department of the Royal Household, is responsible for the care of the Royal Collection and manages the public opening of the official residences of The Queen. Endit