Artwork
Plate 7: Swallowtail Butterfly
Plate 7: Swallowtail Butterfly 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
Plate 7: Swallowtail Butterfly is a delicate watercolor and gold paint work on parchment created by Joris Hoefnagel around 1594.
Technique & Style
Hoefnagel's use of watercolor and gold paint showcases his skill as a miniaturist and manuscript illuminator, techniques characteristic of his work in natural history illustrations.
Subject & Meaning
The detailed depiction of a swallowtail butterfly reflects Hoefnagel's focus on naturalistic observation, a hallmark of his illustrations of flora and fauna.
Context
This work is part of a broader trend in late 16th-century northern Europe, where artists like Hoefnagel contributed to the development of floral still-life painting through their detailed and realistic representations.
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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