Who painted Plate 3: Camel, Ibex, and Goat?

Plate 3: Camel, Ibex, and Goat was painted by Joris Hoefnagel in 1594.

Where can I see Plate 3: Camel, Ibex, and Goat?

Plate 3: Camel, Ibex, and Goat is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Plate 3: Camel, Ibex, and Goat?

Plate 3: Camel, Ibex, and Goat is associated with Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Plate 3: Camel, Ibex, and Goat?

Museum-quality prints of Plate 3: Camel, Ibex, and Goat are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Plate 3: Camel, Ibex, and Goat

Joris Hoefnagel , 1594

Plate 3: Camel, Ibex, and Goat 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 red ink: Camelus etiam scabiosa co[m/n]plurium Asinorum tollit onera.; center right in (gold?): III.; animals in image numbered .1., .2., .3., and .4., in red ink; lower center in black/brown ink: Imbelles lepores, DAMAE mites, Capreaeque, / Idq[ue] genus sine felle animalia quaeque petuntur / S[a]epius et pereunt: Rarus venator ad ursas / Accedit, tutos conservat sylva leones. Facing page: upper center in (gold?): Dente timetur Aper, defendunt cornua Cernum / Imbelles Damae, quid nisi praeda sumus?; lower center in brown ink: Illuxerunt fulgura eius orbi TERRAE: vidit et com[m]ota / est TERRA.ps:96: (“His lightnings have shown forth to the world; the earth saw and trembled.” Psalms 96:4) (Latin Vulgate Bible)

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1594, Plate 3: Camel, Ibex, and Goat is a small-scale work by Flemish artist Joris Hoefnagel. Executed in watercolor and gold paint on parchment, the composition presents a camel flanked by an ibex and a goat, all rendered with meticulous naturalistic detail against a modestly colored landscape enclosed within a golden circular frame.

Subject & Meaning

The central camel, distinguished by its pronounced hump and finely drawn eyelashes, dominates the scene, while the ibex and goat occupy the surrounding space, their horns and postures contrasting the camel’s stature. The grouping reflects Hoefnagel’s interest in cataloguing exotic and familiar fauna, offering a visual study rather than an allegorical narrative.

Technique & Style

Hoefnagel employs transparent watercolor washes to model the animals’ bodies, accentuated by delicate gold leaf highlights that outline forms and suggest a luminous surface. The parchment substrate provides a warm, textured ground, and the restrained green‑brown landscape serves as a neutral backdrop, allowing the precise line work and subtle shading to convey anatomical accuracy.

History & Provenance

As one of the final examples of manuscript illumination, the piece illustrates Hoefnagel’s transition from traditional book decoration to independent natural history illustration. It likely formed part of a larger codex of animal studies, though its exact original ownership remains undocumented; the work now resides in a public collection dedicated to early modern European drawings.

Context

Hoefnagel’s oeuvre bridges the scientific curiosity of the late Renaissance with the decorative sensibilities of northern European still‑life painting. His detailed animal renderings contributed to the burgeoning interest in flora and fauna that would later define the Dutch and Flemish still‑life tradition, positioning him as a key figure in the shift toward observational art.