Plate 2: Maddalena and Enrico, the Children of Pedro González (Petrus Gonsalvus)

Joris Hoefnagel

National Gallery of Art

This painting depicts two children standing upright, wearing elaborate garments. They face slightly to the right and look off in that direction. The children appear to have pale skin, but their faces are both covered in short brown fur or hair. Their eyes, noses, and mouths are still visible. The taller child on the left wears an embellished pink gown with a ruffled lace collar, puffy white sleeves, a bejeweled neckline, and a large cross pendant with jewels hanging from it. This child appears to have long hair on their head that is braided to look like a tiara, and the top of their head is covered with colorful jewels. The shorter child on the right stands with their hand resting on a rock on the right edge of the painting. They wear a bright pink gown with a ruffled lace collar and embroidery down the front and on the shoulders. They wear a tall pink hat. The ground beneath these two children is a light brown color with some small rocks, and behind them is plain paper. These figures are encircled in a gold oval frame with Latin text above and below it.