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The Tame Elephant
Public Domain

Wenceslaus Hollar

The Tame Elephant

1628

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Wenceslaus Hollar

The Tame Elephant

1628

Physical Qualities Etching, Sheet (Trimmed within platemark): 245 × 282 mm. (9 5/8 × 11 1/8 in.) Mount: 358 × 459 mm. (14 1/8 × 18 1/16 in.)
Credit Line Garrett Collection
Object Number 1946.112.2386

Inscribed: Recto: in image, top of central image, in plate "Elephas hic per Europam visus est / Anno 1629"; below central image, in plate "Dieser Elephant nach dem in Europen gebracht worden [...] 10 Jahre alt. Anno 1629. I. Heyde excudit"; below top left image, in plate, "Alhietrinkt der Wein. aus einem Glaslein, / in den rüssel"; below top image second from the left, in plate "Nun schüttet er den wein, aus dem rüssel, / in das maul."; below image third from left, in plate "Alsi beuget er das Knie herfür, das / man auff ihn Steigen kan."; below top right image, in plate "Hie trägt er einen Mann auff seinem / rüssel"; below image second from the top on left, in plate "Also hebt er Brodt und andere ding / vom bodn auff, und Stossel es in das Maul"; below image third from the top on left "Er Kehrt scuh lincks und rechts / wie man ihn heiꞵet."; below image bottom left, in plate "Er Kan sich gantz nieder auff den boden legen und widrum auffstehn."; below image second from the top on the right "Hie trägt er einem Mann auff / den Ohrläplin."; below image third from the top on the right "Er lasset auch also auff ihm / reitten."; below image bottom right "Kan sich auch auff die Knie / nieder legen und Knien" Verso: lower right, in graphite in diamond "6328"

Markings: WM: unidentified oval-shaped (upside-down) watermark with a crest of the Austrian Habsburgs in the center (divided between diagonal lines on one side and tripartite division into three horizontal strips on the other) and a double headed eagle in the bottom quadrant also with a crown and cross-topped-orb atop; CM: Claghorn

Artist

Wenceslaus Hollar

Bohemian, 1607-1677
Meet Wenceslaus Hollar

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