Ferdinand Bellerman was born in Germany and studied at the Akademie der Kunst in Weimar and later in Berlin where he became a disciple of Baron von Humboldt. Bellerman spent the years between 1842 and 1848 travelling and painting in Venezuela, where he created the most comprehensive and inspired vision of the Venezuelan landscape. More than 200 paintings and drawings depict in rich and colorful detail the tropical flora and fauna of the country and constitute an invaluable source of information. Most of his works are preserved at the National Gallerie in Berlin.