Open full image Pin

Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 3, Plate 10]

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 10] 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 shows a plant with big leaves, buds, and a single open flower. Around it are bugs—beetles, flies, and spiders—clinging to branches or floating nearby. The whole scene is drawn in black lines on plain paper, with no color. The plant is labeled *Macaronea*, and the bugs seem to be part of its world. The artist drew tiny details, like the texture of the leaves and the wings of the insects. Want to see how artists used this exact drawing method? Look up engraving.

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