1594
gouache
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Plate 9: Two Pheasants with Fruiting Plants is a 1594 gouache by Joris Hoefnagel, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This painting shows two birds near a small pond. One is bright and colorful, standing on a patch of grass. The other is duller, bending to drink. Behind them, a tree with red berries and green leaves frames the scene. The pond is calm, with a few ripples near the edge. The artist used fine details to show the feathers and berries. The gold paint around the edge makes it look like a framed picture. The Latin text at the top is a poem about the birds. Look up Hoefnagel, Joris to see more of his careful animal drawings.
Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 24 July 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.
See the richer artist page
