Who painted Plate 35: The Undersides of Turbot(?) and Other Flat Fish?

Plate 35: The Undersides of Turbot(?) and Other Flat Fish was painted by Joris Hoefnagel in 1594.

Where can I see Plate 35: The Undersides of Turbot(?) and Other Flat Fish?

Plate 35: The Undersides of Turbot(?) and Other Flat Fish is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Plate 35: The Undersides of Turbot(?) and Other Flat Fish?

Plate 35: The Undersides of Turbot(?) and Other Flat Fish is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

Plate 35: The Undersides of Turbot(?) and Other Flat Fish

Joris Hoefnagel , 1594

Plate 35: The Undersides of Turbot(?) and Other Flat 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

Created circa 1594, this small watercolor and gold‑painted illustration on parchment depicts the ventral surfaces of a turbot—identified with some uncertainty—and several other flat fish. It is catalogued as Plate 35 in Joris Hoefnagel’s natural‑history series and exemplifies the meticulous approach of late‑sixteenth‑century manuscript illustration.

Subject & Meaning

The image presents the anatomical underside of a turbot, a prized culinary fish, alongside other demersal species. By exposing the hidden side of these creatures, Hoefnagel offers a study of form and texture that goes beyond decorative purposes, hinting at an early scientific curiosity about marine life.

Technique & Style

Executed with fine watercolor washes and delicate applications of gold leaf, the work balances precise line work with subtle tonal modeling. The use of parchment as a support reflects the manuscript tradition, while the naturalistic rendering anticipates later scientific illustration.

History & Provenance

Joris Hoefnagel, a Flemish painter noted for his topographical and botanical drawings, produced this plate toward the end of his career as a manuscript illuminator. It formed part of a larger compendium of zoological studies that circulated among collectors and scholars in northern Europe.

Context

The illustration belongs to a period when artists increasingly merged artistic skill with empirical observation, contributing to the emergence of natural history as a distinct discipline. Hoefnagel’s work sits alongside contemporary botanical and zoological manuscripts that documented flora and fauna with unprecedented accuracy.