{"product_id":"rhinoceros-albrecht-durer","title":"Rhinoceros - Albrecht Dürer","description":"\u003cp\u003eA classic 1515 woodcut by Albrecht Dürer depicting a rhinoceros based on written descriptions and sketches of an animal sent to Lisbon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlbrecht Dürer created this woodcut in 1515, based on a written description and a sketch by an unknown artist of a rhinoceros that had arrived in Lisbon from India. Dürer never saw the animal himself. This lack of direct observation explains the imaginative, armour-like plates covering the creature, which resemble a suit of plate mail more than actual rhinoceros hide. The animal is depicted in profile, standing on a simple patch of ground, with the artist's monogram and the date 1515 visible in the upper right corner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe print includes a block of German text at the top, which describes the animal as a marvel of nature. The text claims the rhinoceros is the mortal enemy of the elephant, a belief that persisted for centuries. Dürer used a variety of hatching and cross-hatching techniques to define the texture of the skin, the folds of the body, and the heavy, overlapping plates. The composition is stark and direct, focusing entirely on the form of the beast against a plain background.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite its anatomical inaccuracies, the image became one of the most famous depictions of an animal in European art history. It was widely reproduced and served as the primary visual reference for rhinoceroses in European natural history books for nearly three hundred years. The print demonstrates Dürer's ability to translate complex textures into the medium of woodcut, using line weight and density to create a sense of volume and physical presence. This work remains a classic example of how early modern artists engaged with reports of exotic creatures from distant lands, blending empirical curiosity with artistic invention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/isaiah-xxxviii-hans-holbein-the-younger\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eIsaiah XXXVIII by Hans Holbein the Younger\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/broadside-various-infirmities-of-horses-unidentified-artist\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eBroadside: Various Infirmities of Horses by Unidentified Artist\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/albrecht-durer\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#2a555a;border:1px solid #2a555a;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#ffffff;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eAlbrecht Dürer artwork →\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Albrecht Dürer","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":59146928587087,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":59146936189263,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":59146936222031,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ B2 (50x70 cm) \/ -","offer_id":59146936254799,"sku":null,"price":69.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A1 (59.4 x 84.1  cm) \/ -","offer_id":59146936287567,"sku":null,"price":89.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Rhinoceros_Poster_CompositorV1_1792129832176.jpg?v=1792288453","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.com\/products\/rhinoceros-albrecht-durer","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}