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Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 4, 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 4, 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 image shows a bird perched on a branch, surrounded by detailed plants, flowers, and insects. The scene includes a large nut, a butterfly, and a grasshopper, all drawn with careful lines. The background has a simple, hatched texture to suggest sky or air. The artist used tiny lines to create shading, making the plants and animals look three-dimensional. This kind of drawing was often used in books to teach people about nature. Look up engraving to see how artists like this made detailed 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