Dürer's Rhinoceros
Since I already spent a good deal of time researching German painter and printmaker Albrecht Dürer, it seems fitting to devote a blog post to one of his woodcuts: The Rhinoceros. The story is fantastic the whole way through. A real rhino was shipped as a gift to the king of Portugal in 1515 and was eventually described via poems and sketches to Dürer. Having never seen the animal for himself, he made an intricately detailed woodcut of the rhino anyway.
Dali's Rinoceronte vestido con puntillas
It is immediately obvious that what was lost in translation was restored with imagination. The resultant print depicted a fancifully exotic beast clad in overlapping armor plates from its reptilian legs to its capricious spiral horn jutting out from between the shoulder blades. Despite these artistic indulgences, the anatomical accuracy of Dürer’s Rhinoceros went unchallenged for centuries! The print was even published in textbooks until the 1930s!
Certainly today we all know what a rhino really looks like, but the old woodcut has proven to be a lasting inspiration. Several notable artists have honored its design such as Kirchner and Dali; complete with the iconic “Dürer’s Horn” on the back.
This is one of my favorite Durer prints.
It was quite unfortunate that the beast was shipped to other places in Europe, and died when one sailing vessel sank, with this precious cargo on board.
If you’re interested in other secrets of Albrect Durer’s art, please check out All Things Durer, Hidden Secrets in Durer’s Art and Life at http://www.albrechtdurerblog.com