1594
gouache
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Plate 31: Marbled Electric Ray with Other Skates or Rays, Shells, and a Mollusk in Its Shell is a 1594 gouache by Joris Hoefnagel, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a strange underwater scene with four odd fish and some shells. The biggest fish has a flat body, spiky fins, and a long tail. Two others look curled up like seaweed, and one has a spiky back. The shells at the bottom are scattered on sand. The fish with the spiky fins is called a "marbled electric ray"—it could stun prey with electricity. The artist drew it with careful detail, mixing watercolor and gold paint. Next, look up Hoefnagel, Joris to see how he turned science into art.
Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 24 July 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.
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