Box of delight

The lie of the land: Britain’s hidden legacies of slavery in Eugene Palmer’s paintings.

From an early age, Maria Sibylla Merian forged her own path in art and science. Born in 1647 in Frankfurt, she was the daughter of engraver Matthäus Merian, and following his death trained with her stepfather, still-life painter Jacob Marrel. It was her self-taught scholarship in the life cycles of insects, however, that set her work apart. Merian’s vivid illustrations portrayed insects in their habitats, showing the link between their lives and the plants in their environments.

It’s fun to discover a fascinating person via her own words and doodles, rather than seek them out as a bedazzled fan girl.

The Women’s History Project at the Archives of American Art is scanning a trove of handwritten papers as part of a year long mission to preserve and pass along the creative processes and daily doings of various women artists, art historians, critics, dealers, and gallery owners. Fascinating reading awaits those who can get past the enigmatic antique scrawl.