The Elephant
<p>Martin Schongauer may have engraved his fantastical <em>Griffin</em> and his <em>Elephant</em> as a pair, given their similar scale. Although he may have had the opportunity to see a real elephant in 1483, this depiction is clearly inaccurate by modern standards. Nonetheless, by the mid-16th century, his print became the basis for scientific illustration in Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner’s 1551 book on animals. The two prints may also relate to Schongauer’s series of coats of arms with fanciful animals decorating their shields.</p>
Catalogue
- Year
- 1450
- Dimensions
- Image: 10.2 × 12.8 cm (4 1/16 × 5 1/16 in.); Sheet: 10.2 × 13 cm (4 1/16 × 5 1/8 in.)
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Artist
- Martin Schongauer
Artist
Painting
Martin Schongauer, also known as Martin Schön or Hübsch Martin by his contemporaries, was an Alsatian engraver and painter. He was the most important printmaker north of the Alps before Albrecht Dürer, a younger artist who collected his work. Schongauer is the first German painter to be a significant engraver, although he seems to have had the family background and training in goldsmithing which was usual for early engravers.
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More by Martin Schongauer
Second Foolish Virgin
1490 · engraving
Fourth Wise Virgin
1490 · engraving
The Archangel Gabriel
1490 · engraving
First Wise Virgin
1490 · engraving
The Angel of Saint Matthew
1490 · engraving
The Eagle of Saint John
1490 · engraving
Record
Verified by WattsOS- Artist
- Martin Schongauer
- Year
- 1450
- Dimensions
- Image: 10.2 × 12.8 cm (4 1/16 × 5 1/16 in.); Sheet: 10.2 × 13 cm (4 1/16 × 5 1/8 in.)
- Watts ID
- WW-1450-037301
Source
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Source
- aic
- Reference
- View at source
- Status
- verified