How Did Merian Contribute To The Scientific Revolution
People once believed that insects spontaneously spawned out of dirt or rotting meat. To us, this idea may seem foolish, but we only know this because of a certain entomologist’s help: Maria Sibylla Merian. Merian was a Dutch naturalist born on April 2nd, 1647, in Frankfurt, Germany, who loved studying and illustrating amphibians, insects, and plant life. Merian became an important figure in the Scientific Revolution because of her extensive research, groundbreaking expedition, and published works. To begin, Merian was a prominent figure in the Scientific Revolution because of her extensive research. According to BBC Ideas, a news channel that publishes factual videos, “Merian was one of the first to describe the metamorphosis of insects in
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She extensively studied and dissected frogs to understand how they live and metamorphose, or adapt to their environment over time. To conclude, due to her immense experimentation, Merian was a key exemplar of the Scientific Revolution. Second, Merian completed a groundbreaking expedition in 1693. According to the National Museum of Women in the Arts, when Merian was “52, [she] and her younger daughter embarked on a dangerous trip to the Dutch colony of Suriname, in South America, without a male companion.” This shows that Merian’s trip, caused by a determination to go on a scientific expedition to study animal and plant life outside of Europe, was a huge step forward in anti-feminist approaches. Merian was not only traveling far, but she was also without a male companion, something which was frowned upon at the time due to a common belief that women should be housebound and not explore. Also, in the article, Maria Sibylla Merian: Pioneering Artist of Flora and Fauna, written by the British Museum, the author explains how journeys, such as Merian’s, were “only ever undertaken by men connected to the sugar trade and were hazardous at the best of times, let alone for a 52-year-old woman traveling with just her daughter, Dorothea.” This demonstrates how not only was this a monumental scientific moment in history, but was important for women because no other woman had been brave enough to set out on such a
She extensively studied and dissected frogs to understand how they live and metamorphose, or adapt to their environment over time. To conclude, due to her immense experimentation, Merian was a key exemplar of the Scientific Revolution. Second, Merian completed a groundbreaking expedition in 1693. According to the National Museum of Women in the Arts, when Merian was “52, [she] and her younger daughter embarked on a dangerous trip to the Dutch colony of Suriname, in South America, without a male companion.” This shows that Merian’s trip, caused by a determination to go on a scientific expedition to study animal and plant life outside of Europe, was a huge step forward in anti-feminist approaches. Merian was not only traveling far, but she was also without a male companion, something which was frowned upon at the time due to a common belief that women should be housebound and not explore. Also, in the article, Maria Sibylla Merian: Pioneering Artist of Flora and Fauna, written by the British Museum, the author explains how journeys, such as Merian’s, were “only ever undertaken by men connected to the sugar trade and were hazardous at the best of times, let alone for a 52-year-old woman traveling with just her daughter, Dorothea.” This demonstrates how not only was this a monumental scientific moment in history, but was important for women because no other woman had been brave enough to set out on such a