The Scientific Revolution was characterised through unfamiliar discoveries of the world and the universe surrounding civilization. It was a time of innovation and attempts to explain how the laws of science governed nature. Paracelsus investigated chemicals within the body, Harvey discovered the bases of circulation, and Bacon proposed the scientific revolution. In the scientific revolution, Where other scientists looked for sense and order in the natural world, Maria Merian looked for overarching connections and bridged the gap between art and science, intertwined ecosystems, and animals cohabitating with plants. Merian differentiates herself as the principal scientist of the time, recognising and reporting on the interdependence of science
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Her foremost work, Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium, depicts not only accurate life cycles of insects that later aided Linnaeus in his classification of insects, but also the darwinian power struggle not characterised for another 150 years. She depicted food chains and animal hierarchies before anyone had observed what they were. She cataloged the metamorphosis of caterpillars into butterflies with astounding accuracy, and she helped disprove the theory of spontaneous generation - the belief that life could spring from inanimate things, such as a pile of mud producing insects. She was not only a leading scientist and entymologist of the era, but is often described contemporarily as being the “woman who made science beautiful,” referencing the colorful plates depicting insects and ecosystems that accompanied her scientific work but are often displayed in art museums around the world. These works of art were instrumental in making science more accessible to the masses—something that is not characteristic of the scientific revolution, where only the wealthy had the means to make pivotal discoveries. In Merian’s science, you did not have to have immense knowledge of science—you only had to be able to observe the pictures and you could learn about the natural world. Merian also helped revolutionise the accessibility of scientific texts through showing the …show more content…
However, as science was a very male dominated field at the time, the women of science often get concealed by the men who expand on their work. Kay Etheridge, a biologist at gettysburg college, argues “She was a scientist on the level with a lot of people we spend a lot of time talking about,” alluding to the newtons and harveys that made contemporary discoveries but are placed in a select club of hallowed, revolutionary scientists that are praised countless times throughout the years. Merian not only revolutionised science, but transcends the boundaries of various disciplines and bettered science, art, and humanity through her work. For this, Merian distinguishes herself as scientist of the
Her foremost work, Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium, depicts not only accurate life cycles of insects that later aided Linnaeus in his classification of insects, but also the darwinian power struggle not characterised for another 150 years. She depicted food chains and animal hierarchies before anyone had observed what they were. She cataloged the metamorphosis of caterpillars into butterflies with astounding accuracy, and she helped disprove the theory of spontaneous generation - the belief that life could spring from inanimate things, such as a pile of mud producing insects. She was not only a leading scientist and entymologist of the era, but is often described contemporarily as being the “woman who made science beautiful,” referencing the colorful plates depicting insects and ecosystems that accompanied her scientific work but are often displayed in art museums around the world. These works of art were instrumental in making science more accessible to the masses—something that is not characteristic of the scientific revolution, where only the wealthy had the means to make pivotal discoveries. In Merian’s science, you did not have to have immense knowledge of science—you only had to be able to observe the pictures and you could learn about the natural world. Merian also helped revolutionise the accessibility of scientific texts through showing the …show more content…
However, as science was a very male dominated field at the time, the women of science often get concealed by the men who expand on their work. Kay Etheridge, a biologist at gettysburg college, argues “She was a scientist on the level with a lot of people we spend a lot of time talking about,” alluding to the newtons and harveys that made contemporary discoveries but are placed in a select club of hallowed, revolutionary scientists that are praised countless times throughout the years. Merian not only revolutionised science, but transcends the boundaries of various disciplines and bettered science, art, and humanity through her work. For this, Merian distinguishes herself as scientist of the