1594
gouache
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Plate 1: Two Ostriches and a Starling is a 1594 gouache by Joris Hoefnagel, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows three birds in a simple landscape. On the left is a small, dark bird with a long beak. In the center stands a large ostrich with brown and black feathers, facing left. To the right is a smaller ostrich, also brown and black, facing away. The background is a light, sandy color with a few green plants near a rock. The text at the top is in Latin, and the whole scene is framed by a gold circle. The artist used watercolor and gold paint on parchment, giving it a delicate, glowing look. Next, look up technique: watercolor, glazing to see how artists build light and depth with layers.
Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 24 July 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.
See the richer artist page
