Who painted Plate 10: A Lion and a Civet Cat?

Plate 10: A Lion and a Civet Cat was painted by Joris Hoefnagel in 1594.

Where can I see Plate 10: A Lion and a Civet Cat?

Plate 10: A Lion and a Civet Cat is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Plate 10: A Lion and a Civet Cat?

Plate 10: A Lion and a Civet Cat is associated with Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Plate 10: A Lion and a Civet Cat?

Museum-quality prints of Plate 10: A Lion and a Civet Cat are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Plate 10: A Lion and a Civet Cat

Joris Hoefnagel , 1594

Plate 10: A Lion and a Civet Cat is a gouache drawing by the Renaissance artist Joris Hoefnagel. It dates from 1594 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:upper center in blue(?) ink: Lilia agros, virtusque viros, coelum astra coronatn: ut leo vir fortis, dulce et amare bibit (The lilies adorn the fields, virtue adorns man, the stars adorn the sky. Just like the lion a virtuous man drinks from the sweet and the bitter, trans. Schober 2021, 51, note 56); upper center in pink ink: MORTVA LEONI, ET LEPORES INSVLTA[N]T (Even hares attack a lion when it's dead, Erasmus Adages); lower center: Dic mihi Teucrorum proles, animali muta. / Quis generosa putet, nisi fortia? (Tell me, thou offspring of the Trojans, who thinks dumb animals noble, unless strong? Juvenal); on tablet at left in image in light red ink: VICIT LEO / DE / TRIBV IVDA Facing page: upper center in (gold?): Venatio leonis Onager in Eremo: / sic Pascua dimitum sunt pauperes.; middle center in black ink: :2: / Est locus et cauda, et villis huic obsitus albis, / Podicis inferiorq[ue] loco, quo parcius alba / Excrementa fluunt redolentia: Cepimus illa / Inter delicias: Hominum dementia tanta est.; lower center in blue ink: Corpora magnanimo, satis est prostrasse LEONI. / Pugna suum finem, cum facet hostis habet.; lower center in red ink: Iratus recole, quod nobilis ira LEONIS, / In sibi prostratos, se negat esse feram.

About this work

Overview

Plate 10: A Lion and a Civet Cat is a watercolor and gold paint work on parchment created by Joris Hoefnagel around 1594.

Technique & Style

The artwork showcases Hoefnagel's skillful use of materials and attention to detail, characteristic of his natural history illustrations and manuscript illuminations.

Subject & Meaning

The image depicts a lion and a civet cat, exemplifying the artist's contribution to the detailed representation of animals, merging artistic skill with scientific observation.

Context

This work is part of a broader tradition of naturalistic studies that emerged during the late Renaissance, reflecting the period's emphasis on detailed observation and representation of the natural world.