'Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus) and a False Coral Snake (Anilius scytale)' (1705) by Maria Sibylla Merian . Maria Sibylla Merian was a German illustrator. She mostly created zoological and botanical illustrations, and is famous for her dedication when observing the animals and plants around her. She would, for example, raise live insects to observe them rather than drawing from dead specimens. . At one point, she and her daughter undertook a research trip to Suriname to draw the local flora and fauna without a male companion - an unprecedented move at the time. She was able to do it because it was unofficial and self-funded. . #art #arthistory #germanart #femaleartists #botanicalillustration #zoologicalillustration http://ift.tt/2iqEJkZ












