1594
gouache
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Plate 39: Eight Spiders is a 1594 gouache by Joris Hoefnagel, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This painting shows eight spiders inside a round gold border. The biggest one sits in the center with long, hairy legs, while the others are smaller and scattered around. The background is plain white, and the spiders look detailed but not colorful—just shades of brown, black, and one bright red. The artist used watercolor and gold paint on parchment, which makes the spiders look delicate but precise. The gold border frames them like they’re in a tiny, fancy world. Next, check out technique: 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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