Albrecht Dürer - Rhinoceros Print

Art is too important not to teach. Teach Art History with resources from kellybagdanov.com

https://www.kellybagdanov.com

Having only the rough sketch of an unknown artist and the descriptions of those who had seen the Rhinoceros, Albrecht Dürer set out to make a woodcut of the Rhinoceros. The print is at once instantly recognizable as a Rhinoceros, but a Rhinoceros who has sprung from a fairy tale. With armor plates, and patterned skin the print blurs the line between reality and fantasy.
Despite our understanding that this is not an accurate portrayal, Dürer’s woodcut was included in the naturalist textbooks of his day, and his rendering was believed to be accurate for over 300 years. In the mid 18th century another live rhino named Clara was brought to Europe (another story for another time) and Europeans finally had a correct picture of the species.