Who painted Plate 43: Fifteen Fish?

Plate 43: Fifteen Fish was painted by Joris Hoefnagel in 1594.

Where can I see Plate 43: Fifteen Fish?

Plate 43: Fifteen Fish is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Plate 43: Fifteen Fish?

Plate 43: Fifteen Fish is associated with Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Plate 43: Fifteen Fish?

Museum-quality prints of Plate 43: Fifteen Fish are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Plate 43: Fifteen Fish

Joris Hoefnagel , 1594

Plate 43: Fifteen Fish is a gouache drawing by the Renaissance artist Joris Hoefnagel. It dates from 1594 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:Fish in image numbered .1., .2., .3., .4., 5, .6.,.7., 8, 9, 10, 11, .12., .13., .14., 15, and .16.; center right in (gold?): XXXXIII. Facing page: upper center in blue ink: Nescit Homo finem suum, sed sicut Piscis capitur hamo, / et sicut aves laqueo co[m]prehendu[n]tur in tempore malo: Eccl.9. (“Man knows not his own end; but as fishes are taken with the hook, and as birds are caught with the snare in evil time.” Ecclesiastes 9:12) (Latin Vulgate Bible); lower center in red/violet ink: Nihil est dulcius ocio literario, his dico literis quibus / Infinitatem rerum, atq[ue] naturae et in hoc ipso mu[n]do / Coelum, terras, MARIA Cognoscamus. Cic[o].

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1594, Plate 43: Fifteen Fish is a small-scale work executed in watercolor and gold on parchment. The composition presents a grouping of assorted fish rendered against a pale blue field that suggests water. Each creature is shown with careful attention to form, scale and fin structure, offering a vivid snapshot of marine life as observed in the late Renaissance.

Subject & Meaning

The illustration records a variety of fish species, differing in size, shape and coloration, arranged in a naturalistic yet decorative tableau. By cataloguing these specimens, the image functions both as a visual study of biodiversity and as an ornamental object, reflecting contemporary interests in the classification and aesthetic appreciation of the natural world.

Technique & Style

Hoefnagel employed transparent watercolor washes to model the bodies of the fish, while fine gold leaf accents highlight reflective surfaces and add a luminous quality to the parchment support. The delicate brushwork captures the texture of scales and the translucency of fins, combining scientific precision with the ornamental elegance typical of manuscript illumination.

History & Provenance

Joris Hoefnagel, a Flemish artist renowned for his natural history and topographical drawings, produced this piece toward the end of his career as a manuscript illuminator. The work belongs to a larger collection of illustrated plates that circulated among collectors and scholars interested in the emerging field of natural illustration during the late sixteenth century.

Context

The plate emerges at a time when Northern European artists were increasingly integrating detailed observation of flora and fauna into their practice. Hoefnagel’s approach bridges the traditions of illuminated manuscripts and the nascent genre of still-life painting, contributing to the broader shift toward empirical representation in art.