Albrecht Durer Rhinoceros, 1515, woodcut, Germany

1

• Albrecht Durer Rhinoceros, 1515, woodcut, Germany

2
What is a print?
3

• Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) was the first
  self-conscious artistic genius in Northern Europe
  art a painter, draughtsman, printmaker, and
  theoretician and would-be reformer of the arts.
  Dürer exploited the new printing technology to
  disperse cheap, mass produced prints throughout
  Europe.
• In so doing, Dürer combined self promotion and
  spiritual values, making him the first
  international superstar.

4
Self Portrait done at age 15

• Likened to Leonardo Da Vinci, who was prolific
  and looked outward, Dürer was just as determined
  to look inward and explore the mystery of the
  human soul.
• Phelan, Joseph Masterful Leonardo and Graphic
  Durer, ArtCyclopedia. Feb. 2003
  http//www.artcyclopedia.com/feature-2003-02.html

5
The ruler of Gujarat, Sultan Muzafar II (1511-26)
had presented a rhinoceros to Alfonso
d'Albuquerque, the governor of Portuguese India.
Albuquerque passed the gift on to Dom Manuel I,
the king of Portugal. The rhinoceros travelled in
a ship full of spices.On arrival in Lisbon, Dom
Manuel arranged for the rhinoceros to fight one
of his elephants (according to Pliny the Elder's
Historia Naturalis ('Natural History') (AD 77),
the elephant and rhinoceros are bitter enemies).
The elephant apparently turned and fled.A
description of the rhinoceros soon reached
Nuremberg, presumably with sketches, from which
Dürer prepared this drawing and woodcut.No
rhinoceros had been seen in Europe for over 1000
years, so Dürer had to work solely from these
reports. -according to G. Bartrum (ed.),
Albrecht Dürer and his legacy (London and N.J.,
The British Museum Press and Princeton University
Press, 2002)
6
What does the inscription say?

• Does it relate to the woodcut?

7
"In the year 1515 1. May anno Domini one has
brought Emanuel, the big and mighty king of
Portugal, such an animal from India to Portugal.
It is called Rhinozeros. It is illustrated here
with all its likeness.It is colored like a
speckled turtle. And it is covered by thick
shells. And it has the size of an elephant, but
short legs and it is well-fortified. It has a
sharp, strong horn on the nose. Which is whetted,
if it find stones somewhere.This animal is a
deadly enemy of the elephant. The elephant is
afraid of it, because if they meet, the
rhinozeros runs through the forelegs of the
elephant and disembowels the belly and kills him.
The elephant is not able to protect himself at
all, since the rhinozeros is so well armed, the
elephant cannot do anything. It is being said,
the rhinozeros is quick, brave, and sly."
8
How does this piece represent the time period?
9
Avoid these Use these

• I think
• I dont know
• It means nothing
• I dont understand