Matthaus Merian

Matthaus Merian was the father of engravers Matthaus the Younger and Caspar, and of the painter, engraver, and naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian. Born in Basel, Switzerland and trained in Zurich. He settled in Frankfurt and worked for Johann Theodor de Bry, the publisher and son of the travel writer. In 1617, he married Maria Magdalena de Bry, Johann Theodor's daughter. In 1623, Merian took over the de Bry publishing house upon the death of his father-in-law. Merian's best-known works are detailed town views which, due to their accuracy and artistry, form a valuable record of European urban life in the first half of the sixteenth century.