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Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 1, 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 1, 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 image shows a close-up of a snail shell with tiny plants and insects around it. The shell sits on a thin branch, and there are flowers, a caterpillar, and two butterflies nearby. The whole scene is drawn in black lines with shading, making it look detailed but simple. The title at the top reads *"Festina lente"*, which means "make haste slowly." This was a common motto for careful, thoughtful work. The artist focused on small, natural things with great care. Look up engraving to see how artists like this made precise prints from metal plates.

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