1594
gouache
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Plate 12: A Cheetah(?) and a Wild Sheep is a 1594 gouache by Joris Hoefnagel, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This picture shows a spotted cat with a long tail walking toward a small, curled-up animal with horns. The cat’s fur has dark rosettes, and the ground looks like a mix of dirt and grass. Above them, a circle frame holds the scene, with Latin text at the top and bottom. The Latin says *“Semper aliquid novi adfert Africa”* (Africa always brings something new) and *“Pardi mors”* (the death of the cheat). The cat might not even be a cheetah—it’s labeled as one, but the artist could’ve been guessing. Want to know more? Look up Hoefnagel, Joris.
Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 24 July 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.
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