Animalia Qvadrvpedia et Reptilia (Terra): Plate XXXVII

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to show you a really cool picture! It's called "Animalia Qvadrvpedia et Reptilia (Terra): Plate XXXVII," and it's super old – from way back in 1575! That's like, hundreds of years ago! nn

Can anyone guess what kind of picture it might be, if it's that old? Maybe something with knights? Or maybe dragons? Well, let's find out! nn

This picture is tiny! It's only this big (gesture to indicate a small size). But even though it's small, there's so much to see! The artist, Joris Hoefnagel, was super talented. He painted two adorable dogs! One is mostly white with brown spots, and the other is dark, almost black. They're sitting on a little hill. What do you think the dogs are doing? Are they playing? Are they sleeping? nn

See how fluffy the dogs look? The artist was really good at showing how soft their fur is. And look at the ground – it's not just plain brown, it has little bumps and textures, just like real dirt! Above the dogs, there's a funny-looking gourd hanging from a vine. It's yellow and green striped. What do you think that gourd is doing there? nn

The whole picture is in a pretty oval shape. There are also some words written around the edge. Those are words in Latin, an old language. It's probably a story or a saying about the dogs. And see that "XXXVII" down there? That's a Roman numeral! It means 37. This picture is part of a much bigger collection of 37 pictures! nn

The artist used mostly brown, green, and yellow colors. It's not super bright, but it's very peaceful and calming, isn't it? What kind of feeling does this picture give you? Happy? Calm? Curious? nn

This picture shows us how people saw animals and nature a long, long time ago. It's like a little window into the past! It shows us that even hundreds of years ago, people loved to paint animals and nature. Isn't that amazing? nn

So, what did you think of this little picture? What was your favorite part? Remember, art is all about looking closely and letting your imagination run wild! Now let's go see some more amazing art!