Who painted Plate 14: A "Sea Ape," Two Scorpion Fish, and Two Other Fish?

Plate 14: A "Sea Ape," Two Scorpion Fish, and Two Other Fish was painted by Joris Hoefnagel in 1594.

Where can I see Plate 14: A "Sea Ape," Two Scorpion Fish, and Two Other Fish?

Plate 14: A "Sea Ape," Two Scorpion Fish, and Two Other Fish is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Plate 14: A "Sea Ape," Two Scorpion Fish, and Two Other Fish?

Plate 14: A "Sea Ape," Two Scorpion Fish, and Two Other Fish is associated with Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Plate 14: A "Sea Ape," Two Scorpion Fish, and Two Other Fish?

Museum-quality prints of Plate 14: A "Sea Ape," Two Scorpion Fish, and Two Other Fish are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Plate 14: A "Sea Ape," Two Scorpion Fish, and Two Other Fish

Joris Hoefnagel , 1594

Plate 14: A "Sea Ape," Two Scorpion Fish, and Two Other Fish 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 black ink: PRO PERCA SCORPIVM; creatures in image numbered .1., .2, .3., .4., and .5. in red ink: center right in brown ink: XIV.; lower center in (gold?): Increpuit MARE RVBRVM et exiccatum est et deduxit / eos in abyssis sicut in deserto .ps:105. (“He rebuked the Red Sea, and it was dried up; and he led them through the depths, as in a wilderness.” Psalms 105:9) (Latin Vulgate Bible) Facing page: upper center in violet (green?) ink: Terribilis Dominus, et magnus vehementer / et mirabilis potentia eius .Ecc:43. (“The Lord is terrible, and exceeding great, and his power is admirable.” Ecclesiasticus 43:31) (Latin Vulgate Bible); lower center in red (green?) ink: Transivimus per ignem et AQVAM et / Eduxit nos in refrigerium ps.54. (“We have passed through fire and water, and you have brought us out into a refreshment.” Psalms 65:12) (Latin Vulgate Bible)

About this work

Overview

Executed with meticulous detail, it belongs to a tradition of illuminated manuscripts that blended scientific observation with decorative art.

Created around 1594, this watercolor and gold-painted drawing on parchment is one of a series by Joris Hoefnagel documenting marine life. Executed with meticulous detail, it belongs to a tradition of illuminated manuscripts that blended scientific observation with decorative art. The use of gold leaf and delicate pigments reflects the craftsmanship of late Renaissance manuscript production in the Low Countries.

Subject & Meaning

The plate depicts a fantastical 'sea ape' alongside two scorpion fish and two additional unidentified species. While the 'sea ape' bears mythic qualities, the other creatures are rendered with anatomical precision, suggesting an attempt to catalog real marine organisms. The combination of the real and the imagined mirrors contemporary curiosity about distant seas and the limits of natural knowledge.

Technique & Style

Hoefnagel employed fine watercolor washes to model form and texture, enhanced by precise outlines and accents of gold leaf to highlight scales and fins. The composition arranges the figures in a balanced, almost heraldic arrangement, typical of manuscript illumination. His technique merges the clarity of naturalist drawing with the ornamental elegance of medieval book art.

History & Provenance

This plate was likely part of a larger, unpublished manuscript commissioned for a private collector, possibly linked to the Habsburg court. Hoefnagel’s work circulated among European elites interested in natural history. Though the full manuscript’s fate is uncertain, fragments like this survived through private collections and later institutional acquisitions.

Context

In late 16th-century Europe, interest in natural phenomena surged alongside exploration and the rise of empirical study. Hoefnagel’s drawings responded to this shift, bridging the medieval tradition of symbolic illustration with emerging Renaissance ideals of observation. His work predates formal natural history publications but anticipates their visual language.

Legacy

Hoefnagel’s illustrations influenced later naturalists and illustrators by demonstrating how art could serve scientific documentation. Though not widely published in his lifetime, his detailed depictions became reference points for 17th-century encyclopedic works. This plate exemplifies the transitional role of manuscript art in the history of biological illustration.