Rhinocerus (Das Rhinozeros), 1515

About the Work

Shortly after an Indian sultan had sent King Manuel I of Portugal a rhinoceros as a gift, Dürer - who was not only imaginative, but also an astute businessman - produced a flyer documenting the occasion. Dürer never saw the creature himself and had to base his depiction of it entirely on descriptions and on what was probably not a very accurate drawing. In fact, no one in Europe had seen a rhinoceros since ancient times. Nonetheless, his fanciful design with scales, a carapace and horns was so convincing that it would determine the European image of a rhinoceros for centuries.