Who painted Plate 61: Four Snails?

Plate 61: Four Snails was painted by Joris Hoefnagel in 1594.

Where can I see Plate 61: Four Snails?

Plate 61: Four Snails is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Plate 61: Four Snails?

Plate 61: Four Snails is associated with Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Plate 61: Four Snails?

Museum-quality prints of Plate 61: Four Snails are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Plate 61: Four Snails

Joris Hoefnagel , 1594

Plate 61: Four Snails 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. Created circa 1594, this small-scale work presents four terrestrial gastropods rendered in watercolor and gold on a parchment support.

Inscription: Inscribed:upper center in red ink: COCHLEAM PEGASO.; center right in brown ink: LXI. Facing page: upper center in brown ink: Terrigena, herbigrada, domiporta et sa[m/n]guine cassa, / sub pedibus veneris Chous quam pinxit Apelles.; lower center in black ink: Iubilate Deo omnis TERRA: servite / Domino in Laetitia .ps:100. (“Sing joyfully to God, all the earth: serve you the Lord with gladness.” Psalms 99:2) (Latin Vulgate Bible)

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1594, this small-scale work presents four terrestrial gastropods rendered in watercolor and gold on a parchment support. The composition arranges the snails in a linear grouping, three oriented toward the right and one to the left, against a muted beige ground that emphasizes their shells and bodies without distraction.

Subject & Meaning

The piece functions as a naturalistic study, documenting the form and coloration of common snails. By isolating the creatures from a broader landscape, the artist invites close observation of their spiral shells, texture, and subtle hue variations, reflecting a scholarly interest in the minutiae of the natural world.

Technique & Style

Employing delicate washes of watercolor, the illustrator achieves translucent flesh tones while the gold pigment highlights the spiral ridges of the largest shell. The fine linear work and careful modeling align with late Renaissance manuscript illumination, where precision and decorative detail coexist with a realistic rendering of organic subjects.

History & Provenance

The work is attributed to Joris Hoefnagel, a Flemish draftsman noted for his contributions to early modern natural history illustration.

The work is attributed to Joris Hoefnagel, a Flemish draftsman noted for his contributions to early modern natural history illustration. Produced near the end of the manuscript illumination tradition, it illustrates Hoefnagel’s role in the transition toward topographical and still‑life drawing in northern Europe. Its survival on parchment suggests it was part of a larger codex or collection of scientific sketches.