Maria Sibylla Merian, “Plate XXXII: Gemeen Gras (Gramen pratense, vulgare)”, published 1730

Maria Sibylla Merian (also known as Maria Sibylla Graff) (1647–1717)

“Plate XXXII: Gemeen Gras (Gramen pratense, vulgare)”, from the original 1679–1683 plates; published 1730.

Contextual Commentary:

This is a rare and truly remarkable engraving from the early posthumous Dutch edition, hand-coloured as issued. While printed in 1730, it strikes directly from the original copperplates etched and engraved by Merian's own hand during her lifetime. Merian was a pioneering artist-naturalist whose groundbreaking empirical research proved that caterpillars were not "beasts of the devil" born spontaneously from mud, but rather a vital stage in the stunning metamorphosis of butterflies and moths.

This plate, numbered 32 (XXXII), appears in Maria Sibylla Merian’s “De Europische Insecten” (also known as “Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung, und sonderbare Blumennahrung” [The Wondrous Transformation of Caterpillars and their Strange Diet of Flowers]), published in Amsterdam in 1730 by J. F. Bernard. It is one of four plates (XXXII–XXXV) illustrating the descriptions on pages 17 and 18.

After Merian’s death in 1717, her daughters, Johanna Helena and Dorothea Maria—accomplished artists who had worked alongside her for decades—preserved her legacy. They inherited her original copperplates and continued to oversee the printing and intricate hand-colouring of her works. Having known Merian’s original watercolour studies and scientific aims intimately, they helped ensure that early posthumous editions remained faithful to her artistic standards.

To give a flavour of the accompanying text, Merian describes her experience with the caterpillar shown here before discussing its habits in greater detail: “I fed this grey caterpillar with grass until July; then it spun a grey cocoon and transformed into a grey pupa, which laid green eggs.” (Translated.)

Although the plate is titled “Gemeen Gras” in the publication, an old handwritten ink inscription above the image identifies the moth as “Eikenblad”—Dutch for “oak leaf.” The name refers to its resemblance to a dead, withered leaf; the moth is also known as a Lappet Moth.

Regarding the edition size, Florence F. J. M. Pieters and Diny Winthagen (1999) note in their commemorative essay marking the 350th anniversary of Merian’s birth: “… her books were very rare, editions probably not exceeding 100 copies, and consequently very expensive for scientists — especially the coloured copies: the subscription prices of a coloured versus an uncoloured copy of her book on Surinam insects were 45 and 15 Dutch guilders” (p. 10). They also note that “the pay of a Dutch ocean-going sailor came to 9 guilders a month during the entire seventeenth and eighteenth centuries” (op. cit.).

Technical Details & Condition:

Engraving on buff-coloured laid paper, printed from one of Maria Sibylla Merian’s original copperplates and hand-coloured in the 1730 edition. The colouring is traditionally attributed to, or believed to have been closely supervised by, Merian’s daughters, and is executed with great skill in a historically faithful palette.

The impression is strong and near-flawless, with luminous, richly applied hand-colouring. An old handwritten ink inscription in the upper margin identifies the moth as “Eikenblad”. Apart from this inscription, the sheet is in excellent condition for its age—free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, restorations, and significant stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 21.2 x 14.8 cm
• Platemark: 14.7 x 11 cm

In-Plate Lettering:

• Upper right corner “XXXII”

References:

• Florence F.J.M. Pieters & Diny Winthagen, “Maria Sibylla Merian, Naturalist and Artist (1647–1717): A Commemoration on the Occasion of the 350th Anniversary of her Birth”, 1999, Archives of Natural History, — Available via UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository): https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/956970/80552_327018.pdf  
• Maria Sibylla Merian, “De Europischen insecten …”, 1730, Amsterdam, J.F. Bernard, p. 17 — Available via Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/Europischeninse00Meri/page/XXXII-XXXV/mode/2up

Price & Shipping:

AU$313 (approximately US$218.18 / €194.25 / £164.70), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

To acquire this exceptionally rare engraving, printed from one of Merian’s original copperplates and hand-coloured as issued, please contact oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. Secure payment is handled via PayPal invoice for a smooth, protected transaction.