Artwork
Plate 51: Grasshoppers and a Caterpillar with a Four O'Clock Flower
Plate 51: Grasshoppers and a Caterpillar with a Four O'Clock Flower 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:Insects in image numbered .1. and .2., in red ink; center right in brown ink: LI. Facing page: Upper center in red ink: Sicut umbra eum declinat ablatus sum, et / excussus sum sicut Locusta ps:107. (“I am taken away like the shadow when it declines: and I am shaken off as locusts.” Psalms 108:23) (Latin Vulgate Bible)
About this work
Overview
Plate 51: Grasshoppers and a Caterpillar with a Four O'Clock Flower is a watercolor and gold paint work on parchment created by Joris Hoefnagel around 1594. It exemplifies the artist's skill in natural history illustration and decorative design.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a four o'clock flower, a grasshopper, a caterpillar, and a butterfly. The four o'clock flower, which blooms late in the day, is rendered in bright pink with gold accents, suggesting a blend of scientific observation and ornamental flair.
Technique & Style
Hoefnagel's use of watercolor and gold paint on parchment showcases his mastery of techniques such as glazing to achieve layered colors. The level of detail and decorative precision reflects his background as a manuscript illuminator.
Context
As a Flemish artist active in the late 16th century, Hoefnagel contributed to the development of floral still-life painting in northern Europe, merging scientific curiosity with artistic skill.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 24 July 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.
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