1485
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
An Elephant with Howdah is a 1485 by Martin Schongauer, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see an elephant with a castle-like basket on its back; two tiny people peek out. Most Europeans in 1485 had never seen an elephant. One was paraded through German towns, and Schongauer probably saw it. His print mixes real curiosity with wild guesses—look at that twisted trunk and shell-like ear. If you like animals that feel both real and strange, try the technique sfumato.
This print shows an elephant carrying a crenellated and fortified basket—the howdah— from which two very small human figures peer out. In 1483, an elephant was brought to Germany and taken from town to town to be exhibited as a curiosity. It is likely that Martin Schongauer and his brother Ludwig, who were living in Ulm at that time, witnessed the arrival of this exotic animal. While he may have seen the elephant in person, Schongauer's portrayal—with its twisted trunk and shell-like ear—was likely made from memory rather than direct study of the beast.
The howdah is a carriage placed on the back of an elephant and used to transport wealthy people during hunting and warfare.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Martin Schongauer, also known as Martin Schön or Hübsch Martin by his contemporaries, was an Alsatian engraver and painter.
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