"Quadrupeds," in John Hill, A General Natural History (London, 1748-1752)
The rhinoceros woodcut by Dürer, being an extraordinary and novel animal in Europe, quickly gained popularity amongst westerners. While not an accurate representation of an Indian rhinoceros, since it exaggerated the animal’s plates of armor, the image became regarded as a true representation of a rhinoceros. As depicted here in John Hill’s, A General Natural History, the image was duplicated and reproduced across texts and physical artworks well into the 1700s. Often, the image was reversed, as subsequent woodcuts flipped the animal’s orientation during the recarving process. (MG)
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