Artwork

Brooch with Table-Stones, Butterflies at Top, and Peacocks and Hermes at Bottom

Brooch with Table-Stones, Butterflies at Top, and Peacocks and Hermes at Bottom is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Daniel Mignot. It dates from 1596 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

The design is organized around a central, elongated flower‑like form with a lattice‑patterned stem, surrounded by smaller buds and foliage.

Daniel Mignot’s 1596 engraving presents a decorative brooch rendered in black‑and‑white. The design is organized around a central, elongated flower‑like form with a lattice‑patterned stem, surrounded by smaller buds and foliage. At the apex, two butterflies are perched, while the lower portion features a pair of peacocks with fanned tails and a diminutive figure wearing winged sandals, identified as Hermes.

Subject & Meaning

The composition combines natural and mythological motifs, juxtaposing delicate insects and avian splendor with the classical messenger god. The butterflies and peacocks evoke themes of transformation and beauty, while Hermes, a symbol of travel and communication, may allude to the brooch’s function as a portable, ornamental object that conveys status and cultural knowledge.

Technique & Style

Executed through fine line engraving, Mignot achieves intricate detail by incising the copper plate with a burin, allowing subtle gradations of tone. The lattice stem, feathered tails, and delicate wings are rendered with cross‑hatching and stippling, creating a sense of depth and texture that mimics the sheen of metalwork within a monochrome print.

History & Provenance

Created in the late sixteenth century, the print reflects the period’s fascination with ornamental design and classical references. While specific ownership records are scarce, the work is attributed to Mignot, a French engraver known for his decorative prints, and it survives in several museum collections that document the era’s printmaking practices.

Context

The brooch design aligns with Renaissance decorative arts, where motifs from nature and antiquity were frequently combined in jewelry and metalwork. Such prints served both as pattern books for craftsmen and as collectible artworks, illustrating the diffusion of artistic ideas across Europe during the late 1500s.