Artifact World Gallery
Get the iOS app

Artwork

Plate 23: Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Butterflies, and Other Insects around a Snowberry Sprig

Joris Hoefnagel , 1594

Plate 23: Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Butterflies, and Other Insects around a Snowberry Sprig, by Joris Hoefnagel, gouache, 1594
Plate 23: Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Butterflies, and Other Insects around a Snowberry Sprig, by Joris Hoefnagel, gouache, 1594

Plate 23: Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Butterflies, and Other Insects around a Snowberry Sprig 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:Insects in image numbered .1., .2, .3., .4., .5., and .6., in red ink; center right in (gold?): XXIII. Facing page: Upper center in red ink: Pro saliunca ascendet abies, et pro urtica / Crescet MYRTVS. Isa.55. (“Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree.” Isaiah 55:13) (Latin Vulgate Bible)

About this work

Overview

This intricate drawing on parchment, created around 1594, showcases a delicate snowberry sprig surrounded by various insects. The artist, Joris Hoefnagel, employed a range of techniques to achieve a lifelike representation.

Technique & Style

The work combines watercolor, lepidochromy, and gold paint to produce a richly detailed image. The use of gold paint, in particular, adds a sense of luxury and highlights the insects' delicate features.

Subject & Meaning

The depiction of a snowberry sprig with accompanying insects reflects Hoefnagel's expertise in natural history illustration. The arrangement may symbolize the intricate relationships within the natural world.

Context

This drawing exemplifies the emerging genre of floral still-life painting in northern Europe during the late 16th century, as well as Hoefnagel's contributions to the tradition of manuscript illumination.

Plate 34: Two Moths with a Spider, a Caterpillar, a Damselfly, and Other Insects
Plate 34: Two Moths with a Spider, a Caterpillar, a Damselfly, and Other Insects, Joris Hoefnagel

Artist & collection

Portrait of Joris Hoefnagel

Artist

Joris Hoefnagel

Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 24 July 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.

MORE BY JORIS HOEFNAGEL

SAME SUBJECT

Similarity 98 percent
This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.In the collection of National Gallery of Art. Compiled & edited by , Editor & Founder.

Reviews

Frequently asked questions

Who painted Plate 23: Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Butterflies, and Other Insects around a Snowberry Sprig?

Plate 23: Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Butterflies, and Other Insects around a Snowberry Sprig was painted by Joris Hoefnagel in 1594.

Where can I see Plate 23: Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Butterflies, and Other Insects around a Snowberry Sprig?

Plate 23: Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Butterflies, and Other Insects around a Snowberry Sprig is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Plate 23: Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Butterflies, and Other Insects around a Snowberry Sprig?

Plate 23: Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Butterflies, and Other Insects around a Snowberry Sprig is associated with Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Plate 23: Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Butterflies, and Other Insects around a Snowberry Sprig?

Museum-quality prints of Plate 23: Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Butterflies, and Other Insects around a Snowberry Sprig are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.