Rat de forest (1719)

Dated 1719, "Rat de forest" is an artwork by Maria Sibylla Merian. Context for 1719: The eighteenth century began with the light, ornamental Rococo, especially in France, and moved towards the clarity and antique references of Neoclassicism by the end of the century. The Enlightenment and the habit of the Grand Tour fed a wider interest in science, travel, antiquity, and natural history, and illustrators accompanied many expeditions. Background on Plants & Animals: Images of plants and animals run from medieval herbals and bestiaries to the scientific illustration of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. Images of plants and animals are valued both for the care of their observation and for their decorative appeal. It is listed in the Plants & Animals collection. The image is in portrait orientation.

Your purchase of "Rat de forest" on onlly.art is a digital download: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI. After payment the download link arrives by email, and you can send the files to any print service you trust. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. If you are unsure about size, measure the wall first, then pick a frame whose proportions follow the image. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing.

German, 1647–1717

If you like the visual language of Maria Sibylla Merian, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.