Rhinoceros

Enea Vico

1548

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Animal

About this work

This drawing shows a strange, armored rhino with a big horn and scaly skin. Its head is turned slightly, and its legs end in tiny hooves. In the background, a small dog sniffs the ground near its feet. The rhino’s shell looks like overlapping plates, almost like a turtle’s. The artist used fine lines to show texture, making the scales pop. Try looking up engraving to see how artists like this one carved detailed images into metal plates.