Plate 72: Shield Bug, Cinnamon Bug, Wasp, and Other Insects
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This tiny painting shows four bugs on a branch. A green shield bug shines near a cinnamon bug. A wasp and a moth rest nearby. The bugs glow with gold edges. Hoefnagel painted these in watercolor on parchment. He layered colors to make the bugs look real. Bugs aren’t common subjects in art. He made them detailed and precious. See more bugs like this at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
