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Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 3, Plate 5]

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 5] 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 image shows a close-up of plants and animals drawn in black ink. A lizard clings to a branch, while a snail crawls nearby. Beetles, spiders, and butterflies are scattered around flowers and pods. The lines are sharp, and the details are precise. The tiny text at the bottom is in Latin, describing how these creatures live together. The whole scene looks like a science notebook from long ago. If you like this style, check out engraving to see how artists made such careful prints.

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