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Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 4, 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 4, 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 black-and-white print shows two large pears hanging from a branch. Around them, flowers bloom, insects crawl, and birds perch. The background has vines with grapes and tiny details like a frog and a fish. A banner at the top and bottom holds Latin words. The artist packed the scene with tiny, precise lines to show every leaf and bug. This style was common in Renaissance science art—drawings that mixed beauty with facts. Next, look up engraving to see how artists like Hoefnagel carved 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