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Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 1, Plate 6]

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 6] 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 bugs and plants. A giant beetle with huge horns sits in the center, surrounded by smaller insects like flies, butterflies, and a grasshopper. There’s also a snail and some flowers, all drawn with careful lines and shading. The artist focused on tiny details, like the texture of the beetle’s shell or the veins in the leaves. This kind of careful work was common in Renaissance science books, where artists drew nature to help people study it. Next, look up engraving to see how this technique works.

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