Plate 45: Spotted Nutcracker and Shore Birds

Joris Hoefnagel

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of various birds around a pond. The birds are perched on rocks and a tree branch, with two birds standing on the ground near the water. The detailed birds have distinct patterns on their feathers and are numbered. The pond reflects the natural hues of the environment within a circular frame against a plain background. Above the birds are numbers, and below the image, there is a line of text in Latin that reads, "Claudite Jam Rivos pueri, sat prata biberunt." This composition is delicate and stylized, reminiscent of illustrations from natural history manuscripts. This is in the style of traditional scientific illustrations.