![]() The rhinoceros was received in Europe as an exotic specimen, and other artists, including Hans Burgkmair and Francesco Grannaci (possibly Giovanni Penni as well) created images of it (note 2). This rhino is a true marvel of the animal kingdom. Even if Dürer is guilty of a misinterpretation, he effectively captures the character of the animal. In a further attempt to magnify the animal’s strength, Dürer inaccurately arms the rhinoceros with a sharp dorsal horn, seen beside the letter ‘R’ on the woodcut. By transferring the original design from his drawing onto a woodblock, Dürer evinces the texture of the mammal’s skin through the embossment left on the paper of individually printed impressions. He highlights the heavy texture of the animal’s body and renders it even more apparent through the use of a woodblock. ![]() In his creative interpretation, Dürer illustrates this strongly built mammal with a thick skin of armor plating. The animal is called rhinoceros in Greek and Latin but in India, gomda (note 1). For he is well armed, very lively and alert. Therefore, the elephant fears the rhinoceros for he always gores him whenever he meets an elephant. Then it rips the elephant open where the skin is thinnest and then gores him. It has on the front of the nose a strong sharp horn: and when the animal comes near the elephant to fight, it always first whets its horn on the stones and runs at the elephant pushing its head between his forelegs. It has the color of a toad and is covered and well protected with thick scales, and in size it is as large as an elephant, but lower, and is the deadly enemy of the elephant. Because it is such a marvel, I had to send it to you in this representation made after it. In the year 1515 on 1 May was brought to our King of Portugal to Lisbon such a living animal from India called a rhinoceros. Dürer transcribed the inscription that accompanied the sketch onto a drawing he made of the rhinoceros. The sketch was sent to Dürer from Valentin Ferdinand, a German printer who lived in Portugal. Dürer never saw this specimen he based his celebrated woodcut on an account and an anonymous sketch of a rhinoceros that travelled to Lisbon from India in 1515. ![]() This rendition of a rhinoceros is the most famous in the history of art.
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