Datura with Butterflies Notecard

Send a colorful message with this colorful notecard!

Unusually, this drawing was executed in two distinct stages. The night-blooming Datura, a flower that was not native to the Dutch Republic, was drawn by Guilliam De Heer (ca. 1638-1681) in 1679. The artist seems to have marveled at the complex anatomy and subtle coloration of the plant, which in this drawing achieves an almost sculptural quality. The two butterflies were added by Maria Sibylla Merian sixteen years later. Although they give the impression of playfully fluttering around the plant, the insects were rendered in a scientific manner, allowing both their inner and outer wings to be easily observed. The butterflies have been described as South-American morphos; the exact species cannot be identified. The inscription on the verso indicates that the addition of the butterflies was commissioned by Agnes Block (1629-1704), one of Merian's great patrons. 

This product was produced from the Morgan's collection to accompany the exhibition Rembrandt's Lions: Art and Exile in the Dutch Republic on view October 23, 2026 through January 31, 2027.