Plate 48: Wood Grouse, Rail, and Curlew with Hazelnuts and Figs

Joris Hoefnagel

National Gallery of Art

The image shows four birds and two branches with leaves and fruit encased in a large oval. The birds are arranged in different positions, with one on a branch in the top right and three on the ground, and one on a branch to the top left. The colors in the image are earth-toned, with browns, creams, and greens dominating, and touches of purple on the fruit. The three birds in the center are on the ground, with two standing close together facing each other and the third nearby, while the fourth bird is perched on a branch to the right. In the top left, a branch with green and purple fruit reaches towards the center. In the bottom, there is a small blue patch suggestive of water against the yellow-brown ground.