1594
gouache
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Plate 24: Two Swans, a Kingfisher, and a Bullfinch is a 1594 gouache by Joris Hoefnagel, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This painting shows a small, detailed world of four birds. Two swans float on calm blue water near a sandy shore. A bright green-and-blue kingfisher perches on a branch beside them. Above, a red-and-black bullfinch sits on a twisted tree branch heavy with leaves and tiny red berries. The background is simple—just sky and water—but the birds stand out with careful colors and gold highlights. The artist used a mix of watercolor and gold paint on thin parchment, which gives the scene a soft, glowing look. Tiny details, like the swans’ feathers or the berries, show how carefully this was made. Check out the technique: watercolor, glazing to see how artists build light and depth with layers.
Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 24 July 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.
See the richer artist page
