Artwork

Plate 50: A Crocodile, a Hippopotomus, a Land Crocodile or Tegu Lizard(?), and a Crocodile or Spiny-Tailed Lizard with a Papyrus Plant

Plate 50: A Crocodile, a Hippopotomus, a Land Crocodile or Tegu Lizard(?), and a Crocodile or Spiny-Tailed Lizard with a Papyrus Plant 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:upper center in red ink: FLVMINIS IMPETVS LAETIFICAT CIVITATEM DEI.ps.45. (“The stream of the river makes the city of God joyful.” Psalms 45:5) (Latin Vulgate Bible); right center in (gold?): L.; animals in image numbered .1., 2., .3.,.4., and .5.; lower center in black/brown ink: QVOD MIHI DEEST TIBI OBEST. Facing page: upper center in brown ink: Cantate et psallite Deo: Narrate / omnia mirabilia eius ps.104. (“Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk of all his wondrous works.” Psalms 104:2) (Latin Vulgate Bible); lower center in blue/black ink: Iustus ut PALMA florebit: sicut cedrus libani / Multiplicabitur ps: 91 (“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” Psalms 91:13) (Latin Vulgate Bible)

About this work

Overview

Plate 50 is a watercolor and gold paint drawing on parchment, created by Joris Hoefnagel around 1594. It features four reptiles and a papyrus plant, exemplifying the intersection of artistic skill and scientific observation in late 16th-century natural history illustration.

Subject & Meaning

The drawing showcases a diverse group of reptiles, a crocodile, a hippopotamus, and two possibly identified species (Land Crocodile/Tegu Lizard and Crocodile/Spiny-Tailed Lizard), accompanied by a papyrus plant. This composition highlights the era’s fascination with documenting and understanding the natural world.

Technique & Style

Hoefnagel employed watercolor and gold paint on parchment, characteristic of his work in manuscript illumination. The detailed, observant renderings of the subjects reflect both his artistic prowess and the scientific inclinations of the time.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1594, Plate 50 is part of Hoefnagel’s contributions to the burgeoning field of northern European floral and natural history illustration, within the broader context of his activities as a painter, printmaker, and draftsman.

Context

This work emerges from the late 16th-century European environment where scientific curiosity and artistic expression converged, particularly in the realms of natural history and manuscript illumination.

Legacy

Plate 50 contributes to Hoefnagel’s legacy in bridging art and early scientific observation, influencing the development of natural history illustration in Europe.