1594
gouache
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Plate 34: Seven Flatfish is a 1594 gouache by Joris Hoefnagel, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows seven flatfish floating in a light blue oval pool. Each fish has a round body, big eyes, and fins that stick out. The colors are soft—browns, grays, and pale blues—with a gold border framing the whole scene. The fish are drawn with careful detail, almost like a science book page. The artist likely studied them closely to get the shapes right. Next, look up watercolor, glazing to see how artists build up colors like this.
Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 24 July 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.
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