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The Rhinoceros

Albrecht Dürer

1515

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Animal

Dominant colour

The Rhinoceros is a 1515 by Albrecht Dürer, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Albrecht Dürer
When & what style?: 1515 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

The painting shows a rhinoceros in detail. It has tough skin and a long horn. The artist was inspired by stories of a rhinoceros that arrived in Europe, a rare animal at that time, and people were fascinated by its strange appearance. This fascination with new discoveries was common during the Renaissance. People were excited to learn about the natural world and its many wonders. You can learn more about the artist who created this work, Albrecht Dürer.

The story of this work

Overview

In May 1515, the first rhinoceros since antiquity to reach Europe alive arrived in Lisbon, Portugal. The ruler of Gujarat, Sultan Muzafar II, presented the exotic beast to the governor of Portuguese India, Alfonso d’Albuquerque, who then sent it to King Manuel I. Later that year, the king sent the animal as a political gift to Pope Leo X. Sadly, the ship sank on its way to Italy, and the rhinoceros drowned. Dürer and his contemporaries were fascinated with discoveries of the natural world, and as the rhinoceros made its journey, reports of the animal spread across Europe. Although he never…

Read the full account in the museum source.