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Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 1, Plate 12]

Jacob Hoefnagel

1592

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 1, Plate 12] 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 engraving shows a mix of bugs, fruit, and plants in black and white. A grasshopper sits on a stem, a butterfly spreads its wings, and a lemon is cut in half to reveal its seeds. Tiny beetles and caterpillars crawl among leaves and pods. The lines are precise, with some areas filled in with cross-hatching for texture. The artist focused on small details, like the veins in the lemon or the legs of the insects. This kind of careful drawing was often used in science books back then. Want to see more? Check out the technique: 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