The Unicorn Purifies the Water with Its Horn
probably c. 1555/1561
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 22 × 39.7 cm (8 11/16 × 15 5/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of W.G. Russell Allen
Accession Number
1941.1.156
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Unicorn Purifies the Water with Its*, a captivating engraving by French artist Jean Duvet, likely created between 1555 and 1561. Duvet, a master engraver active in Lyon during the Renaissance, drew inspiration from northern European traditions, particularly the meticulous line work of Albrecht Dürer This sheet, trimmed to its plate mark at 22 × 39.7 cm, depicts the mythical unicorn dipping its horn into a stream, a legendary act symbolizing purity that cleanses poisoned waters and protects against evil. In medieval and Renaissance lore, the unicorn embodied chastity, grace, and di...
About the Artist
Jean Duvet · 1485–1570
Jean Duvet (1485–after 1562), a pioneering French goldsmith and engraver from the provincial heartlands of Dijon and Langres, emerged as the first significant printmaker in France. Born to a Dijon goldsmith, he trained in the family trade and rose swiftly, becoming master of the Dijon Goldsmiths' Guild by 1509. Duvet's early career blended goldsmithing with engraving; no specific teachers are docu...