Plate 51: Grasshoppers and a Caterpillar with a Four O'Clock Flower c. 1575 - 1580

Joris Hoefnagel created this watercolor and gouache on paper, entitled *Plate 51: Grasshoppers and a Caterpillar with a Four O'Clock Flower* sometime in the late 16th century. The composition places a flower, caterpillar, butterfly and grasshopper inside a thin oval frame, producing a tableau of nature. Look at how Hoefnagel used color. The flower displays a vibrant pink, and the butterfly’s wings have an alluring contrast between brown and turquoise; such choices invite us to consider color not merely as representation but as a formal device. The artist employed a muted palette for the insects and the caterpillar, which gives emphasis to their natural textures and enhances the overall sense of realism. What is striking is that Hoefnagel has arranged the elements of the natural world in such a way that prompts us to consider not just their aesthetic qualities but also the scientific and philosophical implications of observing the natural world. The thin oval line contains nature, framing how we perceive and categorize the natural world, a common pursuit of the period.