Artwork

Plate 18: Boarfish, Razorfish, Butterfish, a John Dory, and Other Fish

Plate 18: Boarfish, Razorfish, Butterfish, a John Dory, and Other Fish 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

The work combines delicate watercolor washes with subtle gold detailing on parchment, offering a compact yet comprehensive view of coastal fauna.

Created circa 1594, this miniature illustration by Joris Hoefnagel depicts a grouping of nine marine species—boarfish, razorfish, butterfish, John Dory and others—arranged against a pale blue background. Each fish is set in its own compartment, identified by small numerals, and the entire composition is framed by a thin gold border. The work combines delicate watercolor washes with subtle gold detailing on parchment, offering a compact yet comprehensive view of coastal fauna.

Subject & Meaning

The image functions as a natural‑history study, presenting a variety of fish that would have been familiar to late‑sixteenth‑century European audiences. By isolating each specimen and labeling it, Hoefnagel provides a visual catalogue intended for educational or reference purposes, reflecting the period’s growing interest in empirical observation of the natural world.

Technique & Style

Hoefnagel employed transparent watercolor layers to achieve the soft pink, brown, blue and green tones that model the fish’s bodies, while fine brushwork renders scales and fin structure. A light application of gold paint outlines the border, adding a decorative yet restrained accent typical of manuscript illumination. The careful glazing and attention to minute detail reveal a methodical approach akin to scientific illustration.

History & Provenance

The piece belongs to a series of illustrated plates produced toward the end of Hoefnagel’s career, when he was among the last artists to work within the manuscript illumination tradition. It exemplifies his role in the transition toward independent natural‑history drawing in northern Europe, bridging the gap between decorative book art and the emerging genre of floral and animal still‑life.