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"Happiness always looks small when you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and at once you learn how big and precious it is."
Maxim Gorky

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

A true pioneer...

Have you noticed today's Google homepage?
Here in Canada, at least, there is a beautiful naturalist doodle to
celebrate the 366th birthday of this woman...
Her name was Anna Maria Sybilla Merian.
Born in Germany in 1647.
Truth be told I had never heard her name although I've probably seen her work
being a lover of botanical and zoological illustrations.
Not only was she a gifted artist documenting for the first time many creatures and their life cycles...

...but who also travelled to far away lands, living amongst the native people and
even advocating for human rights in the slave populations of South America.
Her work was important enough to be quoted many times by known
naturalist Carl Linnaeus, considered the father of zoological classification.
She travelled as a divorced woman, unheard of in her day, with her daughter to these
strange and wild places to seek out what she had been curious about
since she was a girl and to document the natural world around her in great detail.
Her work is a valued addition not only to science but to admirer's of fine
naturalist art...
I have only posted a few of her pieces and only snippets of her fascinating life but
have a look yourself and read about this extraordinary pioneer woman.


4 comments:

Unknown said...

I know I've seen her work in the past, but never knew anything about the artist. Very interesting!

gz said...

(o)

Mairéad said...

I saw the doodle but didn't have time to google.
Thanks for the info and the pics. She was a very talented and brave woman.

Melody said...

I had not heard of her either~
What beautiful, vibrant illustrations! She sounds like an amazing lady! :)))
Thank you for sharing!