His son Jacob published the "Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii" in 1592 in Frankfurt. The book is a collection of 48 engravings of plants, insects and small animals shown "ad vivum" made after studies by Joris Hoefnagel. It is divided in four parts of twelve plates (each with separate frontispiece) engraved by Jacob Hoefnagel after designs by his father Joris Hoefnagel. The Italian scholar Filippo Buonanni asserted in 1691 that these engravings are the first published instance of the use of the microscope. However, this assertion of Buonanni is still contested. As the quality of the engravings varies, it is assumed that some of the works were made by members of the family De Bry who resided in Frankfurt.