Plate 73: Ten Insects
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1594
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This painting shows ten insects on a sheet of parchment. They’re drawn in watercolor with tiny gold highlights on their wings and legs. The bugs look real—you can see the veins in their wings and the hairs on their bodies. People back then loved tiny details like this. Artists used magnifying glasses to study bugs up close. This sheet was meant to show off skill, not just beauty. If this style grabs you, look up the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
