Maria Sibylla Merian: The Suriname Expedition 1699-1701

Features

  • Natural Attractions Type
    • Arboretum/Botanical

Maria Sibylla Merian: The Suriname Expedition 1699-1701

Olbrich Botanical Gardens & Bolz Conservatory
3330 Atwood Ave - Madison, WI 53704
Information: 608-246-4550
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Discover the extraordinary life and scientific work of Maria Sibylla Merian – an unconventional 17th century German scientist and botanical artist through a self-guided exhibit in the tropical Bolz Conservatory. More than 300 years after her work was first published, Merian is re-emerging as an inspiration for many due to her significant contributions to science and botanical art. Most impressively, Merian’s accomplishments came during the 17th century, when women were largely limited to the domestic spheres, excluded from scientific study and many of the arts. For a woman to study and document insect life in a time when insects were thought of as ‘beasts of the devil,’ showed particular passion, tenacity, and fortitude