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Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 2, Plate 7]

Jacob Hoefnagel

1592

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 2, Plate 7] 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 a weird mix of bugs and fruit. A giant apple sits in the middle, with a bird perched on top. Around it are scorpions, beetles, and spiders crawling on branches. The whole scene looks like a busy forest, but nothing is quite real—everything is drawn in sharp lines. The text at the top is in Latin, and the bottom says *"Sub omni lapide dormitat scorpio"* (which means "Under every stone sleeps a scorpion"). This was made as a detailed study of nature, not just a pretty picture. Check out engraving to see how artists like this made such precise lines.

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