Artwork
Plate 24: A Wild Goat and a Barbary Sheep(?)

Plate 24: A Wild Goat and a Barbary Sheep(?) 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. Plate 24: A Wild Goat and a Barbary Sheep(?
About this work
Overview
Plate 24: A Wild Goat and a Barbary Sheep(?) is a watercolor and gold paint work on parchment created by Joris Hoefnagel around 1594. It exemplifies the artist's skill in detailed representations of natural subjects.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts two goats on rocky terrain, distinguished by their fur color and horn shape. A pine branch with a pinecone is rendered above them. The surrounding Latin text may hold interpretive significance, though its meaning is not immediately clear.
Technique & Style
Hoefnagel's use of watercolor and gold paint achieves a delicate, ornate effect. The gold border and soft color palette evoke the style of manuscript illumination, a tradition in which Hoefnagel was a late practitioner.
Context
As a Flemish artist known for natural history and topographical subjects, Hoefnagel brought a scientific observational rigor to his depiction of flora and fauna, influencing the development of floral still-life painting in northern Europe.
Artist & collection
Artist
Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 24 July 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.



















