Maria Sibylla Merian: The New Book of Flowers (Prestel Art) [Facsimile] [Hardcover]

Maria Sibylla Merian (Author, Creator), Thomas Burger (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Prestel Art | Publication Date: April 1999

More than three centuries after it was published, this is a collection of floral engravings, remarkable for its scientific accuracy, brilliant colours and delicate beauty. Merian abandoned traditional modes of illustration known in the 16th and 17th-century botanical treatises for more comprehensive balanced compositions. Combining botanical accuracy with artistic quality she moved away from the method favoring single illustrations and instead fused tulips, peonies and lilies into a cacophony of color and detail. Merian recorded the beauty of these flowers meticulously, often emphasising their relationship to their natural surroundings by including butterflies, caterpillars, or insects in the work

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Prestel Publishing; Facsimile edition edition (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3791320807
• ISBN-13: 978-3791320809
• Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 7.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,069,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a gorgeous book!, June 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Maria Sibylla Merian: The New Book of Flowers (Prestel Art) (Hardcover)

I couldn't resist this book because I simply like to look at beautiful things - the prints of flowers & insects are exquisite. I like the manageable shape & size of this book, as well as the texture of the paper (very good quality for such a modestly priced book.) Best surprise however, was the information about Maria Sibylla Merian provided at the back of the book - she was a fascinating woman: artist, explorer, botanist, publisher, designer & teacher of embroidery, and provider for her family. I intend to collect more books of her work.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars nice format, but greatly prefer her later illustrations, August 5, 2003

By 

mindluge "mental inhabitant" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Maria Sibylla Merian: The New Book of Flowers (Prestel Art) (Hardcover)

my wife and i got this volume because we like her work, but were disappointed when it arrived because although the format and care with the reproductions in the book is very good, it does not represent the Merian work that we appreciate. this is what can happen when you have to buy a book sight unseen and the "look inside this book" doesn't offer any interior images. we like her later work and will continue to look for reproductions of that work.

11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Floral beauty, May 28, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Maria Sibylla Merian: The New Book of Flowers (Prestel Art) (Hardcover)

This book is a great source for crafters or artists. There are numerous illustrations of great quality. I bought two -- one to cut up and one to keep!