1594
gouache
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Plate 3: Two Hawks is a 1594 gouache by Joris Hoefnagel, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows two hawks perched on a nest made of sticks and leaves. One hawk faces left, its feathers a mix of brown and black, while the other faces right with a darker, almost shiny coat. Ferns and small plants grow around them, and the background is a soft gold circle with a few green leaves peeking in. The text around the image is in Latin, which was common for scientific or nature drawings back then. The gold paint and careful details suggest this wasn’t just a quick sketch—it was meant to look precise and fancy. If you like this kind of careful nature art, check out Hoefnagel, Joris.
Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 24 July 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.
See the richer artist page
