Rhinoceros, woodcut, in Conrad Gessner, Historiae animalium (Zurich, 1551-1587)
The woodcut illustrating the rhinoceros in Gessner’s animal encyclopedia is a copy of the well-known 1515 print by the celebrated artist Albrecht Dürer, which was in turn based on an anonymous description and sketch. The image depicts the famous “Ulysses,” the first live Indian rhinoceros to arrive in Europe since the Roman Empire. It was a diplomatic gift for the King of Portugal, Manuel I, who in turn gifted the exotic animal to Pope Leo X. However, the animal never made it to the Vatican: it perished when the ship transporting it sank off the coast of Italy. (MG)
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