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Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 3, Plate 1]

Jacob Hoefnagel

1592

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 3, Plate 1] is a 1592 ink by Jacob Hoefnagel, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Jacob Hoefnagel
When & what style?: 1592 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This picture is a black-and-white drawing full of tiny details. You see a big tree with grapes, birds, and snakes curled around it. At the top, a banner has Latin words. Two owls sit in circles below the tree. Birds perch on branches, and insects fly around. The whole scene looks packed but careful, like a puzzle. The artist used a sharp tool to carve lines into metal, then inked them. This method is called engraving. The lines create shadows that make shapes pop out. Next, check out engraving to see how artists make prints like this.

About the artist

Artist

Jacob Hoefnagel

Jacob Hoefnagel (also 'Jacobus', 'Jakob' or 'Jakub") (1573 in Antwerp – c.1632 in Hamburg), was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman, art dealer, diplomat, merchant and politician.

See the richer artist page