1594
gouache
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Plate 74: Insects with White Daffodils is a 1594 gouache by Joris Hoefnagel, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This painting shows a single white daffodil with green stems and buds. Around it, tiny insects—beetles, flies, and spiders—climb or rest on the petals and leaves. The background is a plain, light circle with a thin gold border. The artist labeled each bug with numbers, almost like a science notebook. This was a common way to study nature back then. Next, check out watercolor, glazing to see how artists built up colors like layers of paint.
Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 24 July 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.
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