Who painted Plate 55: A Tawny Owl, an Eagle Owl, and Two other Owls?

Plate 55: A Tawny Owl, an Eagle Owl, and Two other Owls was painted by Joris Hoefnagel in 1594.

Where can I see Plate 55: A Tawny Owl, an Eagle Owl, and Two other Owls?

Plate 55: A Tawny Owl, an Eagle Owl, and Two other Owls is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Plate 55: A Tawny Owl, an Eagle Owl, and Two other Owls?

Plate 55: A Tawny Owl, an Eagle Owl, and Two other Owls is associated with Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Plate 55: A Tawny Owl, an Eagle Owl, and Two other Owls?

Museum-quality prints of Plate 55: A Tawny Owl, an Eagle Owl, and Two other Owls are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Plate 55: A Tawny Owl, an Eagle Owl, and Two other Owls

Joris Hoefnagel , 1594

Plate 55: A Tawny Owl, an Eagle Owl, and Two other Owls 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: MVLTAE NOCTVAE SVB TEGVLIS LATITANT. (“Many night owls lie hidden under the rooftops.” Gesner, _Historia animalium_ 3:600, 602) (trans. Bass 2019, 198); center right in (gold?): LV.; images of owls in image numbered .1., .2., and .3.; on branch under owl numbered .2. in image, in (gold?): IN NOCTE CO[N]SILIUM (“Counsel in the nighttime.” Erasmus, _Adages_, 2.2.43) (trans. Bass 2019, 199); lower center in black ink: NOCTVA VOLAT. (“The night owl flies.” Erasmus, _Adages_, 1.1.76) (trans. Bass 2019, 198) Facing page: Upper center in black/blue ink: Noctua ut in tumulis, super utq[ue] cadavera bubo. / Talis apud Sophoclem, nostra puella sedet.(“As the night owl perches on tombs and the eagle owl on corpses, so my girl sits with Sophocles.” Alciato, _Emblemata_, 127 and Gesner, _Historia animalium_ 3:233) (trans. Bass 2019, 198); lower center in black ink: Ignavus bubo, dirum mortalibus omen. (“Eagle owl, a fearful omen to mankind.” Ovid, _Metamorphoses_ 5.551 (trans. Bass 2019, 198)

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1594 by the Flemish artist Joris Hoefnagel, this small-scale work combines watercolor and gold paint on a sheet of parchment. It presents a quartet of owls, identified as a tawny owl, an eagle owl, and two additional species, arranged within a circular frame. The composition balances meticulous natural observation with the decorative conventions of manuscript illumination.

Subject & Meaning

The four birds are shown perched and nestled, two atop a slender branch and two crouched within a feathered nest. Their alert eyes and detailed plumage emphasize nocturnal vigilance. Encircling the image, a Latin inscription translates to “Many nocturnal creatures hide under the roof,” reinforcing the theme of hidden night‑life.

Technique & Style

Hoefnagel employed transparent watercolor washes to build subtle tonal layers, then applied fine gold pigment to accentuate feather edges and convey a luminous quality. The delicate glazing technique allows the parchment’s surface to glow, while the restrained background, a faint greenish plane, keeps attention on the birds.

History & Provenance

The drawing belongs to Hoefnagel’s broader output of natural‑history illustration and illuminated manuscripts, produced for a learned audience in late‑sixteenth‑century Northern Europe. It reflects his role in advancing the emerging genre of floral and fauna still‑lifes, though its exact ownership trail before entering modern collections remains undocumented.