Who painted Plate 62: Ten Insects?

Plate 62: Ten Insects was painted by Joris Hoefnagel in 1594.

Where can I see Plate 62: Ten Insects?

Plate 62: Ten Insects is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Plate 62: Ten Insects?

Plate 62: Ten Insects is associated with Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Plate 62: Ten Insects?

Museum-quality prints of Plate 62: Ten Insects are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Plate 62: Ten Insects

Joris Hoefnagel , 1594

Plate 62: Ten Insects 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:Center right in brown ink: LXII. Facing page: Upper center in blue/black ink: Mel invenisti commede quod sufficit tibi / ne forte saciatus evomas illud.pro: 25. (“You have found honey, eat what is sufficient for you, lest being glutted with it you vomit it up.” Proverbs 25:16) (Latin Vulgate Bible); lower center in blue/black ink: sicut qui Mel multum commedit non est ei bonum / sic qui scrutator est magestatis, opprimetur a gloria.pro.25. (“As it is not good for a man to eat much honey, so he that is a searcher of majesty, shall be overwhelmed by glory.” Proverbs 25:27) (Latin Vulgate Bible)

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1594, Plate 62: Ten Insects is a small-scale drawing by the Flemish artist Joris Hoefnagel. Executed in watercolor with gold paint on a sheet of parchment, the work presents a group of ten insects rendered with meticulous attention to form and surface.

Subject & Meaning

The composition features a dragonfly, a beetle and seven additional insects, each isolated against a neutral background. The gold edging that frames each creature emphasizes their delicate structures, suggesting a blend of scientific observation and decorative appreciation.

Technique & Style

Hoefnagel employed fine watercolor washes to model the insects’ bodies, while applying gold paint to outline and highlight their contours. The use of parchment as a support, combined with the ornamental gold treatment, reflects the artist’s background in manuscript illumination and his skill in integrating naturalistic detail with decorative motifs.

History & Provenance

As one of the later examples of manuscript illumination, the drawing illustrates Hoefnagel’s transition toward the emerging northern European still‑life tradition. The piece is part of a larger corpus of his natural history illustrations, which were circulated among collectors interested in both scientific and aesthetic qualities.

Context

During the late sixteenth century, Flemish artists increasingly combined empirical study of flora and fauna with the luxurious visual language of illuminated books. Hoefnagel’s work exemplifies this trend, positioning detailed observation within a format that resembles miniature jewelry rather than a purely scholarly diagram.