Plate 29: Geese with Poppies and a Cyclamen c. 1575 - 1580

Joris Hoefnagel made this watercolor and gouache on paper, titled Plate 29: Geese with Poppies and a Cyclamen, at an unknown date. It's an exquisite example of late 16th-century naturalism. Hoefnagel, who worked for the Habsburg court, here gives us an encyclopedic depiction of nature that speaks to the culture of scientific exploration that was emerging during the Renaissance. The image is filled with visual codes and cultural references. The plants and animals are labeled, almost as if this were a scientific illustration rather than an artistic representation. Produced in Europe, this image emerged during a time of great social and intellectual change, as explorers and scientists were expanding the boundaries of the known world. The Habsburgs were patrons of science as well as art, and their collections were some of the first museums. To truly understand this artwork, we might consult the illustrated scientific texts of the period, as well as archival records of the Habsburg court. The meaning of art always depends on its social and institutional context.