Elephant

Early Engravers, c. 1480/1490

This is a drawing of an elephant with a fortified tower on its back. The image depicts an elephant with exaggerated features like large curving tusks and a pronounced trunk. The elephant bears a howdah resembling a small castle tower atop its back, complete with crenellations and a figure peering out of the top. The texture of the elephant's skin is suggested with fine crosshatch lines. The drawing employs a monochromatic palette, focusing on line and shading to convey form.
Artist
Early Engravers
Date
c. 1480/1490
Type
Print
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 10.9 × 13.3 cm
Collection
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Licence
Public domain, CC0

Image description

This is a drawing of an elephant with a fortified tower on its back. The image depicts an elephant with exaggerated features like large curving tusks and a pronounced trunk. The elephant bears a howdah resembling a small castle tower atop its back, complete with crenellations and a figure peering out of the top. The texture of the elephant's skin is suggested with fine crosshatch lines. The drawing employs a monochromatic palette, focusing on line and shading to convey form.

Early Engravers