Artwork
Blue Underwing Moth and Spurge Hawk Moth (plate 25 from Ignis)
Blue Underwing Moth and Spurge Hawk Moth (plate 25 from Ignis) 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.
About this work
Overview
This drawing is one of 25 plates from the series Ignis, created by Joris Hoefnagel around 1594. It depicts two moths rendered in watercolor, lepidochromy, and gold paint on parchment.
Subject & Meaning
The work shows two moths, a blue underwing moth and a spurge hawk moth, pinned side by side against a plain background. The moths are meticulously detailed, with attention to features like antennae and wing veins.
Technique & Style
Hoefnagel employed a range of techniques, including watercolor and glazing, to achieve a lifelike representation of the moths. The use of gold paint adds depth and luminosity to the image. Lepidochromy, a technique involving the use of butterfly or moth wings, may have been used to create iridescent effects.
Context
As part of the Ignis series, this drawing reflects Hoefnagel's expertise in natural history illustration and manuscript illumination, characteristic of late 16th-century northern European art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 24 July 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.
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