Figures

1 Woodcut showing a nettle plant. Mattioli, 1568. I Discorsi, p. 1126. Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, Virginia 4

2 Woodcut images of adult moths and butterflies along with descriptive text. Moffet et al., 1634. Insectorum Theatrum, p. 102. Larval forms are shown on p. 187 of the same volume. Allard Pierson, University of Amsterdam 5

3 Three stages of metamorphosis of Aglais urticae (small tortoiseshell butterfly). Goedaert, 1660 Metamorphosis Naturalis, Plate 77. Allard Pierson, Artis Library, University of Amsterdam 6

4 The metamorphic cycle of Aglais urticae (small tortoiseshell butterfly) on a nettle plant, the required food of the caterpillar of this species. Merian, 1679. Raupen, Plate 44. Spencer Collection, New York Public Library 6

5 Attributed to Simon Bening (Flemish, circa 1483–1561). Horae Beatae Mariae Virginis ad usum Romanum. Illuminated manuscript on vellum. Folio 103v and folio 104r. Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, Virginia 8

6 Woodcut image of the pine processionary moth and unknown beetles. Mattioli, 1568. I Discorsi, p. 382. Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, Virginia 9

7 Adriaen Coenensz, 1577–1580. Vis booc. Left-hand side folio 309v and right-hand side folio 314r. Watercolor on paper. KB | National library: shelf mark 78 E 54 10

8 Adriaen Coenensz, 1577–1580. Vis booc. The left image shows details from folio 309v above, and the right image of metamorphosis is a detail from folio 314r. KB | National library: shelfmark 78 E 54 10

9 Caterpillar, pupa and adult of Hyles gallii (bedstraw hawkmoth) and handwritten text in Latin. Felix Platter album, watercolor on paper, Folio 113. Allard Pierson, Artis Library, University of Amsterdam 11

10 Watercolor on paper of Aglais io (peacock butterfly) adult, pupa and caterpillar. Alexander Marshal. Folio 4r. Collection 941. Alexander Marshal Insect Watercolors. Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Archives Collection 941 12

11 Papilio machaon (old world swallowtail). Joris Hoefnagel, 1575/1580. Watercolor and gouache on vellum. Folio 7 in Animalia Rationalia et Insecta (Ignis). Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington 13

12 Joris Hoefnagel, 1592. Archetypa, Part 1, Plate 12. The Papilio machaon (old world swallowtail) was painted more than a decade earlier by Joris Hoefnagel (Figure 11). Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (1381–197) 15

13 Plate 6 in Jonston and Merian, 1653. Naturalis de Insectis, Libri III. Allard Pierson, University of Amsterdam 15

14 Jacob Marrel, 1634. Still life with a vase of flowers and dead frog. Oil on wood panel. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, public domain 18

15 Moths are shown being drawn to a flame. Camerarius, 1596/1604 Symbolorum & Emblematum, Volume 3, Plate XCVII. Allard Pierson, University of Amsterdam 19

16 Silkworm metamorphosis in Aldrovandi, 1602. De Animalibus Insectis Libri VII, 282. Allard Pierson, University of Amsterdam 25

17 Silkworms in Moffet et al., 1634. Insectorum Theatrum, 18. Allard Pierson, University of Amsterdam 25

18 Silkworm metamorphosis in Jonston and Merian, 1653. Historia Naturalis Animalium, Plate 22. Allard Pierson, University of Amsterdam 26

19 Plates IV and XXI from Jonston’s book on insects were originally engraved by Matthaeus Merian Jr. and Caspar Merian for the Latin edition (Jonston, 1653). This image is from a hand-colored Dutch edition (Jonston, 1660). Allard Pierson, Artis Library, University of Amsterdam 30

20 Arctia caja (garden tiger moth) life stages from eggs to adult moth. Moffet et al., 1634. Insectorum Theatrum, 186. Allard Pierson, University of Amsterdam 31

21 Details of silkworm anatomy from Malpighi, 1669. De Bombyce, Plate 1. Allard Pierson, University of Amsterdam 33

22 Arctia (garden tiger moth) in Goedaert, 1660. Metamorphosis Naturalis, Volume 1, Plate 17. Allard Pierson, Artis Library, University of Amsterdam 35

23 Detail from engraving of Frankfurt on the Main: View of the city as seen from the southwest. Matthaeus Merian the Elder. Circa 1617. Public Domain 40

24 Engraved plate by Matthaeus Merian, 1646. Der Fruchtbringenden Gesellschaft Nahmen. Collection of the author 42

25 Matthaeus Merian, 1620. Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae Scenographia Hortus Palatinus a Friderico Rege Boemiae electore Palatino Heidelbergae extructus. British Museum, London 43

26 Aglais io (peacock butterfly) in Rabel, 1622. Theatrum Florae, Plate 39 and a close copy in De Bry and Merian, 1641. Florilegium Renovatum, Plate 27. Images courtesy of Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, Virginia 43

27 Art as the Mirror of All Nature. 1617. Engraving of the cosmos by Matthaeus Merian. In Fludd, 1617. Utriusque Cosmi. The Library of Chemical History, Philadelphia 44

28 Attributed to Jacob Marrel, 1679. Portrait of 32-year-old Maria Sibylla Merian. Oil on canvas. Reproduced by permission of the Kuntsmuseum Basel 45

29 Georg Flegel, c. 1630. Flowers and caterpillar (probably Calliteara pudibunda, the pale tussock moth). Watercolor and body color on paper. Kupferstichkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin 47

30 Georg Flegel, c. 1630. Silkworm in various stages of metamorphosis. Watercolor and body color on paper. Kupferstichkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin 47

31 Jacob Marrel, 1640. Bodycolor on vellum. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam 48

32 Jacob Marrel, c. 1634. Body color on vellum. Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, Virginia 50

33 The Graff family house in Oberer Milchmarkt (Upper Milkmarket), Nuremberg. Photo by Dieter Lölhöffel 54

34 Hans Hoffmann, 1582. A Hare among Plants. Watercolor and body color on vellum. Copyright 2015 Christies Images Limited 55

35 Esther Barbara von Sandrart pictured with some of her collection of naturalia. Engraved by Georg Daniel Heumann in 1727 after a painting by Georges Desmarées (1725). Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel: Portr. II 4743a 57

36 Rosina Helena Fürst, 1650. Model-Buchs Erster Theil. Public domain 60

37 The left-hand title page is from Merian’s 1675 (Part 1) Blumen book. The title page on the right is from her 1680 (Part 3) Blumen book. Shelfmark Bip.Bot.q.63#3, Staatsbibliothek Bamberg 60

38 Johann Andreas Graff, 1682. Etching of Egidienplatz, Nuremberg. Kunstsammlungen der Stadt Nürnberg 61

39 Johann Andreas Graff, 1681. Etching of the reconstruction of the Franciscan church in Nuremberg (Barfüßerkirche). Kunstsammlungen der Stadt Nürnberg 62

40 Plates 10 (violet) and 8 (iris) from Merian’s 1675 Blumen book. Shelfmark Bip.Bot.q.63#1, Staatsbibliothek Bamberg 65

41 Title page and Plate 14 from Robert, 1660. Variae ac multiformes florum species. Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, Virginia 66

42 Plate 11 from Merian’s 1675 Blumen book shows a rose cultivar damaged by insects and an unidentifiable butterfly. Shelfmark Bip.Bot.q.63#1, Staatsbibliothek Bamberg 67

43 Narcissus and Polygonia c-album (comma butterfly). Robert, 1660. Variae ac multiformes florum, Plate 23 and Merian, 1675. Blumen book, Plate 4. Shelfmark Bip.Bot.q.63#1, Staatsbibliothek Bamberg 68

44 Chart indicating the approximate timing of Merian’s husbandry for each type of larva featured in her 1679 Raupen book 79

45 Merian. Study journal painting 80. Cosmia trapezina (dunbar moth), Xanthorhoe fluctuata (carpet moth) and two unidentified species. Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 85

46 Merian. Study journal painting 24. Spiris stirata (feathered footman) eggs, pupa, cocoon and caterpillar and Aglossa pinguinalis (tabby moth). Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 87

47 Merian. Study journal painting 66. The Apamea monoglypha (dark arches moth) on the left is featured in Plate 26 of her 1683 Raupen book, and the small Tortricid moth on the right is pictured in Plate 7 of her 1679 Raupen book. Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 88

48 Merian. Study journal painting 33. Smerinthus ocellatus (hawk moth) and one of its parasites. Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 93

49 Merian. Study journal painting 23. Rhyparia purpurata (purple tiger moth). Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 95

50 Merian, 1679 Raupen. Detail from Plate 44 showing Aglais urticae (small tortoiseshell) as it was typically printed (Spencer Collection, New York Public Library) and the same detail from a counterproof print of Plate 44 (Library of the Netherlands Entomological Society at Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden) 99

51 Page 20 in Merian’s 1679 Raupen book features a printer’s ornament showing an emperor moth. Spencer Collection, New York Public Library 105

52 These five printer’s ornaments each are used several times in Merian’s 1679 and 1683 Raupen books. From Merian, 1679 Raupen. Spencer Collection, New York Public Library 106

53 Merian, 1712. Rupsen, Volume 1. Counterproof print of Plate 2. Allard Pierson, Artis Library, University of Amsterdam 111

54 Illustrated title page of the copy of the 1679. Raupen bought in 1711 from Merian by Zacharias Conrad von Uffenbach. Shelfmark HV.Rar.103(1), Staatsbibliothek Bamberg 112

55 Merian, 1712. Rupsen, Volume 1. Counterproof print of Plate 50. Allard Pierson, Artis Library, University of Amsterdam 115

56 Merian, 1718. Erucarum Ortus, p. 4. Public domain 116

57 Merian, 1717. Rupsen, Plate 15. Collection of the author 118

58 Plates 157–160 in Merian et al., 1730. Histoire générale des insectes de l’Europe. Allard Pierson, University of Amsterdam 120

59 Albin, 1720. History of English Insects, Plate 12. Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, Virginia 123

60 Illustrated title page. Merian, 1679. Raupen. Spencer Collection, New York Public Library 128

61 Silkworm life cycle in the first entry of Merian’s study journal. Watercolor and gouache on vellum. Several details shown in the final plate are absent from this study. 155

62 Merian. Study journal painting 69. Diarsia brunnea (purple clay moth). Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 159

63 Merian. Detail from study journal painting 80. Cosmia trapezina (dunbar moth). Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 163

64 Merian. Study journal painting 25 of Arctia caja (garden tiger moth) depicted in Plate 5 of the 1679 Raupen book. Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 172

65 Merian. Detail from study journal painting 41. Phorid fly (scuttle fly). Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 181

66 Merian. Study journal painting 18. Dicallomera fascelina (dark tussock moth). Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 185

67 Merian. Detail from study journal painting 57. Nola cucullatella (short-cloaked moth). Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 197

68 Plate 12 (counterproof) from Merian 1712 Rupsen. The life cycle of an unidentified fly was added to the original plate. Allard Pierson, Artis Library, University of Amsterdam 201

69 Male Saturnia pavonia (emperor moth) from Merian’s study journal painting 77. Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 205

70 Merian. Study journal painting 26. Polygonia c-album (comma butterfly). Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 209

71 Merian, 1679. Raupen. Detail from Plate 15 showing the cocoon, pupa and eggs of Spiris striata (feathered footman). Spencer Collection, New York Public Library 213

72 Photograph of underside of Amphipyra livida showing iridescence of the lower wings. Dumi, Creative Commons 217

73 Detail from Plate 4 of Merian’s 1679 Raupen book. Acleris bergmanniana (yellow rose button). Spencer Collection, New York Public Library 249

74 Detail from Plate 26 of Merian’s 1679 Raupen book. Aglais io (peacock butterfly) adult and caterpillar. Spencer Collection, New York Public Library 257

75 Study painting 17 of Leucoma salicis (satin moth). Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 273

76 Detail from Plate 33 of Merian’s 1679 Raupen book. The eggs encircling the stem are characteristic of Malacosoma neustria (lackey moth). Spencer Collection, New York Public Library 285

77 Detail from Plate 34 of Merian’s 1679 Raupen book. Phlogophora meticulosa (angle shade moth). Spencer Collection, New York Public Library 289

78 Detail from Plate 35 in Merian’s 1679 Raupen book. Melanchra persicariae (Dot moth) caterpillar feeding on iris leaf. Spencer Collection, New York Public Library 293

79 Detail from Plate 37 of Merian’s 1679 Raupen book. Biston betularia (peppered moth) laying eggs. Spencer Collection, New York Public Library 301

80 Merian. Detail from study journal painting 38. Periphanes delphinii (pease blossom moth). Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 313

81 Merian. Study journal painting 8 of poplar branch and insects. Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 321

82 Merian. Detail from study journal painting 56. Agrotis ipsilon (dark sword-grass or black cutworm). Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 325

83 Merian. Study journal painting 83. Pieris rapae (small cabbage white). Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 337

84 Merian. Study journal painting 5. Calliteara pudibunda (pale tussock moth). Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 345

85 Merian. Study journal image 85. Carcharodus alceae (mallow skipper). Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg 349

Plates from Merian’s 1679 Raupen Book

1 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 148

2 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 156

3 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 160

4 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 164

5 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 168

6 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 174

7 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 178

8 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 182

9 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 186

10 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 190

11 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 194

12 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 198

13 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 202

14 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 206

15 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 210

16 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 214

17 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 218

18 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 222

19 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 226

20 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 230

21 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 234

22 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 238

23 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 242

24 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 246

25 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 250

26 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 254

27 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 258

28 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 262

29 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 266

30 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 270

31 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 274

32 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 278

33 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 282

34 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 286

35 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 290

36 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 294

37 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 298

38 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 302

39 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 306

40 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 310

41 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 314

42 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 318

43 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 322

44 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 326

45 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 332

46 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 338

47 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 342

48 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 346

49 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 350

50 Merian, 1679. Raupen. NEV Library/Naturalis, Leiden 354