Artwork

Plate 65: A Cricket Surrounded by Insects, Including a Ruby-Tailed Wasp

Plate 65: A Cricket Surrounded by Insects, Including a Ruby-Tailed Wasp 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: FORMICA CICADAE. / QVOD AESTATE CANTAS ID HYEME SALTA.; insects in image numbered .1. and .2., in red ink; center right in (gold?): LXV.; lower center in blue/black ink: CICADAM ALA NE CORRIPIAS. Facing page: Upper center in red ink: Et cantu querulae, rumpunt arbusta Cicad[a]e

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1594, this miniature drawing by Flemish artist Joris Hoefnagel depicts a central cricket encircled by six assorted insects, among them a vividly rendered ruby‑tailed wasp. Executed on parchment with watercolor and gold pigment, the work exemplifies the detailed natural studies that Hoefnagel pursued in the late sixteenth century, combining scientific observation with decorative elegance.

Subject & Meaning

The composition focuses on a cricket as the focal point, surrounded by a variety of smaller insects that highlight the diversity of the natural world. The inclusion of the ruby‑tailed wasp, rendered in striking gold and red, draws attention to the vivid coloration found in many species, suggesting an interest in both aesthetic appeal and the cataloguing of fauna.

Technique & Style

The precise rendering and ornamental arrangement reflect the artist’s background in manuscript illumination and his transition toward still‑life motifs.

Hoefnagel employed transparent watercolor layers, a glazing method that builds depth through successive thin washes, allowing colors to achieve a luminous quality. Gold paint is applied to accentuate the wasp’s tail and other details, creating a subtle metallic sheen. The precise rendering and ornamental arrangement reflect the artist’s background in manuscript illumination and his transition toward still‑life motifs.

History & Provenance

The piece belongs to a series of natural‑history illustrations produced by Hoefnagel in the 1590s, a period when he was among the last generation of manuscript illuminators in northern Europe. These works contributed to the emergence of floral and insect still‑life painting in the region. The drawing’s current location and ownership history remain documented through scholarly catalogues of Hoefnagel’s oeuvre.