1594
gouache
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Plate 14: Common Brimstone, Painted Lady, and Clouded Yellow Butterflies is a 1594 gouache by Joris Hoefnagel, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This painting shows two butterflies resting on a leaf. One has pale yellow wings with faint spots, while the other has brown wings with orange and black patterns. The leaf beneath them is bright green with a few red stems. The artist used watercolor and gold paint on parchment, giving it a delicate, glowing look. The butterflies are drawn with careful attention to their tiny details, like the tiny hairs on their legs. Next, look up watercolor, glazing to see how artists create depth with layers of paint.
Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 24 July 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.
See the richer artist page
