Plate 62: Ten Insects
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This page shows ten tiny bugs. Each one is drawn in watercolor with gold edges on pale parchment. A dragonfly, a beetle, and seven others sit still under a magnifying glass. Hoefnagel didn’t paint these for science alone. He made small artworks so fancy they look like jewelry. Gold leaf frames each bug like a treasure. Next, look up Hoefnagel, Joris.
