The Maria Sibylla Merian Society

INTERVIEW WITH MARIEKE VAN DELFT ABOUT MERIAN

In December 2022 Marieke van Delft - formerly curator of Early Printed editions at KB, national library of the Netherlands and one of the editors of Changing the Nature of Art and Sciencehere in Dutch.

Home / Uncategorized

INTERVIEW WITH MARIEKE VAN DELFT

In December 2022 Marieke van Delft - former curator of Early Printed editions at KB, national library of the Netherlands and one of the authors and editors of Changing the Nature of Art and Science - was interviewed for a podcast of the University Leiden (Radio Horzelnest) about the life and work of Maria Sibylla Merian. She also discusses the new insights that are presented in this recent publication on Merian. You can listen to the interview HERE (in Dutch).

MERIANIN.DE: NEW INTRIGUING WEBSITE WITH FOCUS ON MERIAN’S NUREMBERG PERIOD 1668-1682

www.merianin.de
The beautifully illustrated website on Merian developed by Margot and Dieter Lölhöffel is a rich resource based on years of work in their home city of Nuremberg. In this city she started her carreer with the help of her husband and many people in her cultural network. In German and English, the site presents detailed information on Merian’s life, including high resolution images from archives not previously published. The page on ‘Nuremberg Works’ includes links to digital copies of several of her early works- just one example of the sources provided in this valuable addition to Merian studies. Furthermore, it connects the work of the 'first ecologist' with current projects in Nuremberg protecting insects and biodiversity.

City Archives Nuremberg: Searching for Traces

Until 26 May the Nuremberg City Archives will display a small exhibition about Merian's time in the city of Nuremberg, where she lived and worked from 1668 until 1682. The exhibition includes information about important persons in her life in that period, including her husband, Johann Andreas Graff, and the painter, Joachim von Sandrart. The exhibition brings attention to the special places in Nuremberg where Merian conducted her research into caterpillars and butterflies. More information (in German) can be found here.

Online Expo: Johann Andreas Graff depicts the Old Town of Nuremberg

In 2017, the Förderverein Kulturhistorisches Museum of Nuremberg organized an exhibition about the life and works of the husband of Maria Sibylla Merian, Johann Andreas Graff (1636-1701). As a ‘city scape pioneer’ he depicted Nuremberg meticulously. The exhibition as well as the comprehensive catalogue were based on research into Merian, her family and her time in Nuremberg by Margot Lölhöffel. The Nuremberg Municipal Museums contributed with their rich collection of Graff’s works. After the end of the exhibition, the experts in this department of the Nuremberg city administration transformed it into a virtual presentation that is now online as a Google Arts & Culture Project. It offers a fascinating impression of the work of Graff and the town where Maria Sibylla lived for fourteen years. The presentation includes beautiful high resolutions images, and comes in two parts: part 1 about the Old Town around the St Sebald church and part 2 about the Old Town around the Lorenz church (click on blue bold text or image for link). The online exhibition was co-produced by Margot Lölhöffel, who shared the links with the Society.

MERIANIN.DE: NEW INTRIGUING WEBSITE WITH FOCUS ON MERIAN’S NUREMBERG PERIOD 1668-1682

www.merianin.de
The beautifully illustrated website on Merian developed by Margot and Dieter Lölhöffel is a rich resource based on years of work in their home city of Nuremberg. In this city she started her carreer with the help of her husband and many people in her cultural network. In German and English, the site presents detailed information on Merian’s life, including high resolution images from archives not previously published. The page on ‘Nuremberg Works’ includes links to digital copies of several of her early works- just one example of the sources provided in this valuable addition to Merian studies. Furthermore, it connects the work of the 'first ecologist' with current projects in Nuremberg protecting insects and biodiversity.

City Library Nuremberg: Influences and Embroidery

In the exhibition 'Maria Sibylla Merian. Flowers, caterpillars, butterflies' the City Library of Nuremberg shows a selection of Merian's work from their collections. The exhibition also pays attention to the natural historians who influenced her, and those who were influenced by her. Additionally, rare examples of Marian's Blumenbuch are displayed. The exhibition also shows how her designs were translated into pieces of embroidery that were used for alba amicorum (“friendship books”). More information (in German) can be found here.