Plate 38: Merganser with Two Other Waterfowl and a Garland of Melons and Gourds

Joris Hoefnagel

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of three birds in a natural setting with decorative elements. Above the scene of a lake, there are three birds, one flying over the water and two swimming. The sky is clear with no clouds, the vegetation is sparse, and the water is mostly calm. The scene is framed within an oval, with a decorative element above consisting of squash, foliage, and ribbon. On the right side of the image, the Roman numeral XXXVIII is inscribed.