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Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 2, Plate 2]

Jacob Hoefnagel

1592

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 2, Plate 2] 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 of plants and bugs. You see flowers, leaves, a snail, a spider, and a caterpillar. The lines are sharp and detailed, like someone traced each leaf by hand. A title at the top reads *Aeternum Florida Virtus* in fancy letters. The artist packed a lot into this small space—every plant and bug looks real. The text at the bottom is in Latin, but it’s just extra detail. This kind of careful drawing was meant to teach people about nature. Want to know more? Look up engraving to see how artists made these sharp lines.

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