Plate 63: Six Small Birds, Including a Bluethroat and a Cuckoo(?)
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This image shows six small birds perched on twisted tree roots and rocks. The background has a simple beach with water and a sky. The birds are painted in bright, soft colors—some brown, some blue, one pink—and the roots look tangled and gnarled. The whole scene is framed in a circle with a gold border. The artist used watercolor and gold paint on parchment, which gives it a delicate, glowing look. The birds seem real but stylized, like they’re part of a nature study. Next, look up Hoefnagel, Joris to see how he blended art and science.
