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MARIA SIBYLLA MERIAN (1647-1717)
Banana with Teucer Owl Butterfly and Rainbow Whiptail Lizard
1702-03RCIN 921178
Although Merian’s drawings are impressive scientific plates, she was also alert to the aesthetic appeal of her illustrations. Alongside this depiction of the life cycle of a Teucer Owl Butterfly (Caligo teucer) she included a Rainbow Whiptail Lizard (Cnemidophorus lemniscatus) ‘chiefly to decorate the plate’.