Crested Porcupine (Hystrix cristata)

The artist skilfully used only the point of the brush – not a pen – to make this image. He may have copied the porcupine from a watercolour by Joris Hoefnagel preserved in another set of albums once owned by Rudolph II. There is no doubt, however, that this drawing is by De Boodt. It bears a signature, and he added a list at upper left with the animal’s name in eight languages.