Plate 47: A Dragonfly (Banded Darter?), Grasshopper, Houseflies, a Carrion Beetle, a Flower Longhorn Beetle, and Other Insects
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Here’s the painting: A sheet of parchment holds a watercolor dragonfly perched beside a grasshopper, houseflies, and a carrion beetle. Gold paint dots the wings. Tiny brush strokes make each hair and vein sharp. This page is part of a bug atlas made for Emperor Rudolf II. The artist glued real insect wings to the page. The colors stay bright after four centuries. If you like this tiny world, look up Hoefnagel, Joris next.
