Maria Sibylla Merian – Opossum “Rat de Forest” plate 66 from “Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium”
Rat de Forest – Plate 66
From Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium,
c. 1705 — hand-colored copper engraving after Maria Sibylla Merian
This uncommon plate diverges from Merian’s usual emphasis on insects, presenting one of the few mammalian subjects in her oeuvre: the Murine Mouse Opossum (Rat de Forest). In the scene, a mother opossum carries her young on her back, each baby clinging to her tail with seemingly arranged, looping tails—a compositional flourish rather than naturalistic behavior.
Above them, perched on a thick, gnarled branch, two mantises appear, beneath the dappled branches a silken wasp or insect nest is nestled. The background suggests a Surinamese landscape with broad skies and distant terrain, adding depth to the composition.
This plate was not part of the original 1705 edition but was inserted posthumously from materials found in Merian’s studio—possibly by her daughter Johanna—for the 1719 edition.
Maria Sibylla Merian was a trailblazing artist and naturalist who revealed the secret life cycles of insects and transformed how the natural world was seen.
Maria Sibylla Merian was a pioneering naturalist, scientific illustrator, and artist whose studies transformed both art and science. Born in Frankfurt into a family of publishers and artists, she trained in painting and engraving before dedicating herself to the direct observation of plants and insects. At a time when many still believed in spontaneous generation, Merian was among the first to demonstrate that caterpillars, chrysalides, and butterflies were life stages of the same insect. Her illustrations showed these transformations in sequence, often alongside the host plants essential to each species.
In 1699, at the age of 52, Merian undertook a daring journey to Surinam in South America with her daughter Dorothea Maria. There she studied tropical insects and plants in their natural habitats, recording life cycles with unprecedented accuracy. The result was her landmark publication Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium (1705), combining exquisite copperplate engravings with detailed descriptions. This work was revolutionary in portraying insects as part of broader ecological relationships rather than isolated specimens.
Merian’s publications influenced both entomology and botanical art for centuries, inspiring scientists, collectors, and artists alike. Today she is celebrated not only as one of the great natural history illustrators of the seventeenth century, but also as a trailblazing woman who pursued her scientific vision in an age when such careers were rarely open to women.
