Plate 6: Five Catfish and Sturgeon(?)
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This painting shows five fish swimming in a blue, wavy background. The fish have big mouths, spiky fins, and long tails—some look like sturgeon, others like catfish. The whole scene is inside a gold circle, and the colors are soft, with light shading to show scales and water movement. The artist used a mix of watercolor and gold paint on parchment, which was fancy for the time. Notice how the fish are numbered in red—this was likely part of a bigger book about nature. Next, check out watercolor, glazing to see how artists built up colors like this.
