Plate 55: Three Green Damselflies with Brown Wings (Beautiful Desmoiselles?)
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Joris Hoefnagel painted three damselflies on a sheet of parchment. Their bright green bodies and brown wings stand out against the plain background. The wings look almost lace-like up close. This wasn’t just art—it was science too. Hoefnagel helped invent a new way to show insects in color. He used tiny brushes and layered watercolor glazes until the colors felt alive. Look for the tiny gold dots on the wings next time you visit the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
