An Elephant with Howdah
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
10.8 × 14.6 cm
Classification
Department
Prints
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Dudley P. Allen Fund
Accession Number
1927.199
Tags
male
About this artwork
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 like...