Synopses & Reviews
This enchanting collection of flora and fauna illustrations by Germany's famous woman artist Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) has been mostly hidden from the public eye--until now. During a trip to Amsterdam in 1719, Peter the Great encountered a collection of watercolors by a little known female artists. The tsar was entranced by the opulent color, exquisite detail and refined lines of the collection--pictures of flowers, plants, sea creatures and insects, each depicted with remarkable scientific accuracy. Peter brought the watercolors back to St.Petersburg and with them opened Russia's first museum. After Peter's death, the paintings were given to the Academy of Sciences, where they have resided ever since. These remarkable images, known as the St. Petersburg Watercolors, are now available to the public i this beautiful book. This volume features fifty full page images presented in double-page spreads, with descriptions of the flora and fauna shown. the collection's remaining one hundred and forty-four illustrations are also presented in full color, accompanied by brief commentary. An introductory essay describes the life and work of Maria Sibylla Merian, as well as the origins and history, bibliophiles and nature lovers alike will delight in these beautifully precise images, which are every bit as fascinating as the history behind them.
Synopsis
An enchanting collection of flora and fauna illustrations by Germany's famous woman artist Maria Sibylla Merian.