Artwork

Plate 13: Yellow Swallowtail and Red Admiral Butterflies with a Dragonfly (Broad-Bodied Chaser?)

Plate 13: Yellow Swallowtail and Red Admiral Butterflies with a Dragonfly (Broad-Bodied Chaser?) 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

Created circa 1594, this miniature watercolor depicts three insects—a yellow swallowtail butterfly, a red admiral butterfly, and a dragonfly—arranged against a light parchment background and framed by a thin gold border. The work exemplifies Joris Hoefnagel’s meticulous approach to natural illustration, merging scientific observation with decorative manuscript traditions.

Subject & Meaning

The composition presents two butterflies side by side, the swallowtail with its characteristic orange and black markings and the red admiral displaying contrasting blue and red hues, while a translucent-winged dragonfly hovers beneath them. By rendering the insects in a lifelike pose, Hoefnagel underscores the era’s fascination with cataloguing the natural world.

Technique & Style

Hoefnagel employed delicate washes of watercolor, building thin translucent layers to suggest the iridescence of the wings.

Hoefnagel employed delicate washes of watercolor, building thin translucent layers to suggest the iridescence of the wings. The application of gold paint outlines the scene, adding a decorative frame typical of late manuscript illumination. This combination of glazing and gilding reflects a transitional style between detailed scientific drawing and the emerging decorative still-life tradition in northern Europe.

History & Provenance

As one of the final works of a Flemish artist known for both printmaking and manuscript illumination, the piece illustrates Hoefnagel’s role in the shift toward naturalistic representation in the late 16th century. The drawing’s survival on parchment highlights the durability of illuminated manuscripts and their influence on later European botanical and zoological illustration.