Insecten, bloemen en een slak rond een walnoot 1592 - 1726

This image of insects, flowers, and a snail around a walnut was made by Jacob Hoefnagel, sometime between the late 16th and early 17th century, through engraving. Engraving is an intaglio printmaking technique, where lines are incised into a metal plate, traditionally copper. The image is essentially a series of lines, and the quality of the final print depends on the amount of pressure used. It takes a very controlled hand to create, as any mistake is hard to fix. The quality of Hoefnagel’s work is evident in the details of the image; he has used the process masterfully to depict texture, light, and shadow. The labor-intensive nature of engraving gives this image a quality that would have been highly prized. Though it is not painting or sculpture, it is a handmade object created through careful craftsmanship, and as such considered a work of art.