Maria Sibylla Merian (1643-1717), the talented daughter of the famous Frankfurt engraver, developed an early interest in painting and natural history. After several years of marriage, she left her husband against his will and joined a Pietist sect. From Amsterdam, where she settled with her two daughters, she embarked in 1699 on a two-year journey through the jungles of the colony of Suriname to observe, collect, and depict animals and plants. Upon her return, she published her works with great success and gained international scientific fame.