Open full image Pin

Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 1, Plate 11]

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 11] 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 bugs and plants drawn in black lines. There’s a lizard, a frog, a spider, and a beetle. Some flowers and leaves fill the space around them. The lines are tight and detailed, like careful writing. The words at the top and bottom are in Latin. The bottom says *Noli irritare crabrones*—that means “don’t bother the bees.” The artist made this to study nature closely. Want to see how this kind of drawing works? 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