Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) - Rinoceronte - Cosmografia Universale - 1558

This original sheet on 16th‑century laid paper (page 1165, siglum GGG 2, Book V) comes from one of the two rare Italian-language editions of Sebastian Münster’s Cosmography Universale (1488–1552), printed in Basel by Henrigo Pietro in 1558 and in Cologne by Arnold Birckmann in 1575. The page hosts the famous depiction of the Indian rhinoceros conceived by Albrecht Dürer (Nuremberg, 1471 – Nuremberg, 1528) in 1515 and cut as a wood engraving. The engraving faithfully reproduces in parallel the historic iconographic invention by the Nuremberg master, complete with the characteristic plate armor and the small horn on the withers, accompanied by the Italian typographic text describing the creature’s nature and the famous public combat with an elephant organized in Lisbon in 1515 by King Manuel I of Portugal.

Dimensions 31 x 21 cm
Will be shipped by courier.