Plate 15: Grayling Butterfly, Magpie Moth, and Two Chrysalides c. 1575 - 1580

"Plate 15: Grayling Butterfly, Magpie Moth, and Two Chrysalides" is a detailed watercolor on vellum by Joris Hoefnagel, a renowned Flemish painter and naturalist. Created between 1575 and 1580, this exquisite artwork showcases Hoefnagel's mastery in capturing the delicate beauty of insects. The composition features two grayling butterflies, a magpie moth, and two chrysalides, each meticulously rendered with lifelike accuracy. This plate, part of Hoefnagel's larger "The Natural History of Insects," exemplifies the emerging scientific interest in natural history during the Renaissance.