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Everything is made by hand at our art studio in St John’s, Portland, OR. If you are local to the Portland area and want to pickup your art, use the coupon code “PICKUP” at checkout. When your order is ready you will receive an email to schedule your pickup time.
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Sibylla
Sibylla
This is a micron pen numberism drawing on toned paper of a Monarch butterfly on a particularly toxic species of milkweed plant, the Asclepias curassavica . They are both drawn with a chemical formula for a cardenolide, which is the heart-stopping toxin in the plant. As Jaap de Roode discovered in his research, infected butterflies preferentially lay their eggs on these more toxic plants which greatly improve the survival rate of their offspring who feed on them. Scroll down to learn more about where the name of this piece comes from.
A full description is included with all prints.
Named after Maria Sibylla Merian who was an early naturalist and is renowned for her accurate drawings and descriptions of insect behavior and life cycles. Her book "Metamorphoses" cataloged the life cycle of moths and butterflies and demonstrated that insects were not in fact "born of mud". Her work greatly influenced the field of ecology and her style inspired many who used her drawings to identify hundreds more species. She did this in a time when women were not allowed to sell their paintings or participate in academia. Her two year journey to document over 200 species in Surnia was self funded by selling 255 of her original paintings because there was not royal or government funding for female expeditions. Maria Sibylla Merian used art as her vehicle to participate in scientific discovery and contributed to the world of ecology despite never having been invited. I've recently learned about her, and yes she is now an inspiration.
Example of Merian's work where she depicts a species over its life cycle on the plant in which it eats.
Merian, Maria Sibylla, “Plate 47 “from Dissertation of Insect Generations and Metamorphosis in Surinam”, second edition”, 1719: Hand colored engraving on paper, 20 1/2x14 ½ in.: National Museum of Women in the Arts
Fine Art Print Options:
Paper prints are printed on fine art luster paper and are under an archival mat, perfect for beautiful framing.
The 11" x 14" with mat is 16" x 20"
The 16" x 20" with mat is 20" x 24"
Canvas prints are coated with 3 layers of UV glaze to protect from fading. Open edition canvas prints are signed by the artist, and stretched on 3/4" wood bars and are ready to hang with two nails or screws.
Limited Edition canvas prints are stretched on 2" - 2.5" wood bars and are wired and ready to hang.
Limited Edition Canvas prints are signed, numbered and dated, come with a magnifying glass and a certificate of authenticity, which includes the limited information and a full description of the numbers used to draw the piece.
Allow 1 - 3 weeks shipping time