Maria Sybilla Merian: Changing the nature of art and science.

The article focuses on Maria Sybilla Merian (1647–1717) and her contributions to natural history through her detailed studies and artistic depictions of insects and plants, particularly from her expedition to Suriname. It highlights a collection of twenty-one essays that update Merian scholarship by exploring her printing history, artistic context, Dutch colonial background, and comparisons with contemporaneous naturalists and artists. Merian's work uniquely combined scientific observation with vivid, life-size illustrations that influenced collectors and naturalists, including figures like Hans Sloane and Mark Catesby. While her reputation as both an artist and naturalist was significant in her lifetime and the eighteenth century, her scientific contributions became less recognized by the nineteenth century, though she continues to inspire modern artists.