Artwork

Plate 24: Flying Swallow Gurnard, Male Lumpsucker, Longspine Snipefish, and Other Fish

Plate 24: Flying Swallow Gurnard, Male Lumpsucker, Longspine Snipefish, and 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:Fish in image numbered .1., .2., .3., .4., .5., .6., .7., .8., .9., .10., .11., and .12. in red ink; center right in (gold?): XXIV. Facing page: upper center in red/violet ink: Ego sum dominus Deus tuus, qui conturbo mare, et / Intumescunt fluctus ei[us] Dominus exercituum / nomen meum .Isa 51. (“But I am the Lord thy God, who trouble the sea, and the waves thereof swell; the Lord of hosts is my name.” Isaiah 51:15) (Latin Vulgate Bible); lower center in blue/black ink: Hoc mare magnum, et spaciosum, illic reptilia / quorum non est numerus: animalia pusilla / cum magnis, illic naves pertransibunt: ps:103. (“So is this great sea, which stretches wide its arms: there are creeping things without number: Creatures little and great. There the ships shall go.” Psalms 103:25 and 26) (Latin Vulgate Bible)

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1594, this watercolor and gold‑painted illustration on parchment depicts a group of marine species arranged within a blue circular space. Central to the composition are a large fish with an unusual head and a slender, elongated fish with an ornate tail, surrounded by several smaller fish. The image rests on a pale ground and is framed by a delicate gold border.

Subject & Meaning

The work presents a selection of North Atlantic fishes, including the flying swallow gurnard, male lumpsucker, and longspine snipefish, among others. By gathering these specimens together, the artist offers a comparative view of their forms and colors, reflecting a scholarly interest in cataloguing and understanding marine biodiversity during the late Renaissance.

Technique & Style

Executed with fine watercolor washes and touches of gold leaf, the drawing balances subtle tonal shifts with precise line work. The artist renders each fish with meticulous attention to scale, texture, and anatomical detail, while the overall composition maintains a decorative elegance characteristic of manuscript illumination of the period.

History & Provenance

Attributed to Joris Hoefnagel, a Flemish painter noted for natural‑history illustration, the piece belongs to a series of plates that formed part of a larger codex of zoological studies. It represents one of the final examples of illuminated manuscript production before the medium gave way to printed natural‑history books.

Context

Hoefnagel’s integration of scientific observation with decorative art contributed to the evolution of topographical and naturalistic illustration in northern Europe. His detailed fish studies anticipated later taxonomic works and influenced subsequent generations of artists who sought to combine accurate depiction with ornamental design.