1594
gouache
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Plate 38: Merganser with Two Other Waterfowl and a Garland of Melons and Gourds is a 1594 gouache by Joris Hoefnagel, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This painting shows three birds swimming in calm water near grassy land. Above them floats a strange, floating garland of melons, gourds, and green leaves. The birds are detailed—one dark with a green head, one brown, and one grayish—while the garland mixes bright yellows, purples, and golds. The garland looks unreal, like a mix of food and decoration. It’s not clear why it’s there, but it’s a weird contrast to the natural scene below. Next, check out the technique: watercolor, glazing to see how artists built 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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