Maria Sibylla Merian’s Description of a Pineapple and Butterfly

The image is a reproduction of an illustration of a pineapple and insects by Maria Sibylla Merian, created in 1705 as part of her seminal work, Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium (Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname).

by Maria Sibylla Merian Here’s a description of a pineapple and butterfly in Merian’s own words:   “This is a ripe Ananas (pineapple), which must be peeled to be eaten. This fruit tastes [like] one had mixed grapes, apricots, red currants, apples, and pears, and [we could] taste all of them at once. Its smell…

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