<img width="640" height="732" src="https://www.cooperhewitt.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Maria_Sibylla_Merian_portrait_from_500DM_banknote.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 5px; clear:both;max-width: 100%;" srcset="https://uh8yh30l48rpize52xh0q1o6i-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Maria_Sibylla_Merian_portrait_from_500DM_banknote.png 666w, https://uh8yh30l48rpize52xh0q1o6i-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Maria_Sibylla_Merian_portrait_from_500DM_banknote-262x300.png 262w, https://uh8yh30l48rpize52xh0q1o6i-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Maria_Sibylla_Merian_portrait_from_500DM_banknote-170x195.png 170w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" data-attachment-id="28827" data-permalink="https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2018/03/09/maria-sibylla-merian-1647-1717-entomologist-and-botanical-illustrator/maria_sibylla_merian_portrait_from_500dm_banknote/" data-orig-file="https://www.cooperhewitt.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Maria_Sibylla_Merian_portrait_from_500DM_banknote.png" data-orig-size="666,762" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Maria Sibylla Merian" data-image-description="<p>Face portrait of Maria Sibylla Merian </p>" data-medium-file="https://www.cooperhewitt.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Maria_Sibylla_Merian_portrait_from_500DM_banknote-262x300.png" data-large-file="https://www.cooperhewitt.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Maria_Sibylla_Merian_portrait_from_500DM_banknote.png" />In celebration of Women’s History Month, March Object of the Day posts highlight women designers in the collection. Maria Sibylla Merian (German, 1647-1717) was a remarkable naturalist, famous for her expertise in entomology and the art and details of her scientific illustrations. From a young age, Merian was taught how to draw and enthusiastically explored...