The image features an intricately detailed beetle with large mandibles in the upper center. Surrounding the beetle are other objects, including an insect resembling a dragonfly to the left, a curled caterpillar on a plant stem at the top right, and a flower in full bloom to the left. Two fruits, one resembling a pear at the bottom left and another possibly a peach at the bottom right, complete the composition. The color palette is monochromatic, primarily composed of varying shades of sepia and black. The beetle is centrally positioned, dominating the arrangement, with the dragonfly and flower to its immediate left, the caterpillar above it to the right, and the fruits at the bottom framing the scene.
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The image features an intricately detailed beetle with large mandibles in the upper center. Surrounding the beetle are other objects, including an insect resembling a dragonfly to the left, a curled caterpillar on a plant stem at the top right, and a flower in full bloom to the left. Two fruits, one resembling a pear at the bottom left and another possibly a peach at the bottom right, complete the composition. The color palette is monochromatic, primarily composed of varying shades of sepia and black. The beetle is centrally positioned, dominating the arrangement, with the dragonfly and flower to its immediate left, the caterpillar above it to the right, and the fruits at the bottom framing the scene.

National Gallery of Art · Print

Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 2, Plate 1]

Jacob Hoefnagel after Joris Hoefnagel

Date
published 1592
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
page size: 24.1 × 32.5 cm (9 1/2 × 12 13/16 in.) plate: 15.5 × 20.8 cm (6 1/8 × 8 3/16 in.)
Classification
Print
Accession number
1987.20.9.15
Credit line
Gift of Mrs. Lessing J. Rosenwald
Time span
1551 to 1600
Department
CG-E

Portfolio and series

Series
Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii [Part 2, Plate 1]

Subjects and terms

  • animal
  • Flemish
  • engraving
Provenance

Mrs. Lessing J. Rosenwald [1893-1988], Jenkintown, PA; gift to NGA, 1987.

NGA object ID 224568. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.