Who painted Plate 60: Four Small Snakes?

Plate 60: Four Small Snakes was painted by Joris Hoefnagel in 1594.

Where can I see Plate 60: Four Small Snakes?

Plate 60: Four Small Snakes is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Plate 60: Four Small Snakes?

Plate 60: Four Small Snakes is associated with Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Plate 60: Four Small Snakes?

Museum-quality prints of Plate 60: Four Small Snakes are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Plate 60: Four Small Snakes

Joris Hoefnagel , 1594

Plate 60: Four Small Snakes 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: SVPER ASPIDEM ET BASILISCVM AMBVLABIS / et conculcabis leonem et Draconem.ps.90 (“You shall tread upon the asp and the basilisk and you shall trample under foot the lion and the dragon.” Psalms 90:13) (Latin Vulgate Bible); center right in brown ink: LX.; animals in image numbered .1., .2., .3., and .4., in red ink; lower center in blue ink: Et semper recto lapsurus limite CENCHRIS / Pluribus ille notis variatam tingitur aluum. Facing page: upper center in brown ink: Sibilaq[ue] effundens cunctas terrentia pestes, / Ante venena nocens, late sibi submovet omne / vulgus, et in vacua regnat Basiliscus arena.; lower center in brown ink: Ne Intuearis vinum quando flavescit, cum splenduerit / In vitro color eius: Ingredit[ur] blande, sed in novissimo / mordebit ut Coluber, et sicut REGVLVS venena diffundet. / proverb.23. (“Look not upon the wine when it is yellow, when the color thereof shines in the glass, it goes in pleasantly. But in the end it will bite like a snake and will spread abroad poison like a basilisk.” Proverbs 23:31-32) (Latin Vulgate Bible)

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1594, Plate 60: Four Small Snakes is a small-scale drawing by the Flemish artist Joris Hoefnagel. Executed in watercolor and gold on parchment, the work depicts a quartet of serpents rendered with meticulous detail. It belongs to a series of natural‑history illustrations that illustrate Hoefnagel’s skill in combining scientific observation with decorative art.

Subject & Meaning

The composition presents four diminutive snakes arranged in a compact grouping, each distinguished by subtle variations in color and pattern. By isolating the creatures from any narrative context, Hoefnagel emphasizes their anatomical features, inviting viewers to appreciate the diversity of reptilian forms as objects of study rather than allegorical symbols.

Technique & Style

Hoefnagel employed transparent watercolor washes to model the snakes’ scales, while delicate touches of gold leaf accentuate highlights and lend a luminous quality to the parchment surface. The rendering balances fine line work with soft shading, characteristic of late‑Renaissance manuscript illumination and the emerging natural‑history illustration tradition in northern Europe.

History & Provenance

The drawing is attributed to Hoefnagel’s later period, when he was among the few artists still working within the manuscript illumination tradition. It likely formed part of a larger codex of zoological studies that circulated among collectors and scholars interested in the burgeoning field of empirical observation during the late sixteenth century.

Context

Hoefnagel’s career bridged decorative illumination and the nascent genre of topographical and botanical drawing. Plate 60 exemplifies his contribution to the early development of floral still‑life and natural‑history illustration in the north, reflecting a shift toward precise, observational rendering that would influence later scientific artists.