Inspired and encouraged by Alexander von Humboldt, who never traveled to Brazil himself, the ethnologist, zoologist, and naturalist Prince Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied arrived in Rio de Janeiro in July 1815. From the then Brazilian capital, he aimed to explore "the still completely unknown or rather yet to be described eastern coast" all the way to the northern city of São Salvador de Bahia within two years. During this expedition, the group made detours into the interior of the coastal lowlands, which was still covered by dense rainforests, starting from the river mouths. After his return, the sensational work for natural research of the time was created at the princely castle Monrepos in Neuwied, notable for the quality of its illustrations, many of which were contributed by contemporary artists.