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Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 3, Plate 4]

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 4] 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 detailed black-and-white drawing of plants and creatures. There are two spiky fruits in the center, surrounded by flowers, butterflies, and a snail. A caterpillar clings to a leaf, and a beetle crawls on the ground. The background is filled with branches and leaves, all drawn with careful lines. The title at the top reads *Ænigma*, and the bottom has Latin words that sound like a riddle. This kind of image was used to study nature closely. Next, look up engraving to see how artists like Hoefnagel created these sharp details.

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