Plate 39: Squid, Gurnard, Pike, and Other Fish
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This painting shows five sea creatures in a round, gold-edged frame. A squid curls near the top left, its tentacles swirling. Below it, a long fish with a pointy nose swims near a shorter, stocky fish. To the right, a bright blue fish with red fins floats above a plant with yellow flowers and pink shells on the bottom. The water is a soft blue-green, and the whole scene looks like it’s inside a book. The artist used watercolor and gold paint on parchment, which was fancy for the time. The text at the top is in Latin, likely naming the fish. Check out technique: watercolor, glazing to see how artists built up colors like this.
