Pineapple

In 1699 Maria Sibylla Merian travelled with her younger daughter to Suriname in northern South America, to study the flora and fauna. The resulting natural history plates were published in Amsterdam in 1705, at her own expense. This volume was acquired for the newly founded Royal Library during the reign of King William IV.

This is a page from a rare counterproof edition of Merian’s Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, with the accompanying text in Latin. The plates were colored by Merian and her daughters with care to replicate the colors of the insects depicted. Merian dedicated her publication "to all lovers and investigators of nature." The volume is full leather bound with brown calf, heavily tooled with gold.

We present today's pineapple because (1) it's the birthday of Kate, the editor-in-chief of DailyArt Magazine, and that's her favorite fruit, (2) because it was painted by a woman artist, and (3) because it is simply beautiful. We hope you will understand.  : )

P.S. John Murray built a pineapple house in the 18th century and you have to see it!