In this captivating illustrated biography, Sophie Artz tells the life story of the naturalist and artist Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717). At a time when most people regarded insects as devilish and unclean, Merian ignited a passion for these fascinating creatures, which she captured in breathtaking drawings and prints. At the age of fifty, she sold her possessions and embarked on an adventurous journey to Suriname with her daughter to explore the flora and fauna there. Sophie Artz revives the stages of Merian's life as an entomologist, world traveler, businesswoman and artist in sensitive, poetic imagery and a precise narrative style.

SOPHIE ARTZ (*1990) is a Berlin-based artist who works with drawing and illustration. She explores the boundaries between science, fiction, natural history and art.