Plate 6: A Variety of Oxen with a Ram and a Water Buffalo(?) by a Plane Tree

Joris Hoefnagel

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of a pastoral scene with various animals. It depicts four different animals enclosed within a circular frame made by two trees. Each animal is numbered. On the left is a sheep with large, curled horns looking towards the interior space of the circle. In the center, there is a dark cow marked as number 2, standing next to a light-colored calf marked number 3. On the right is a goat with long, curved horns. The background consists of a grassy area and sparse foliage, including a tree with broad leaves. The top and bottom of the image contain Latin text. The phrase at the top reads "Equus in quadrigis, in aratro bos," and the bottom phrase reads "Non nostrum onus, bos clitellas."