{"product_id":"an-elephant-with-howdah-martin-schongauer","title":"An Elephant with Howdah - Martin Schongauer","description":"\u003cp\u003eA detailed engraving by Northern Renaissance master Martin Schongauer, depicting an elephant with a fortified howdah based on period accounts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMartin Schongauer, a master of the Northern Renaissance, produced this engraving during the late fifteenth century. The work depicts an elephant carrying a fortified howdah, a structure rarely seen in the artist's native Germany. Schongauer relied on contemporary accounts and hearsay to construct this image, as live elephants were not present in the region at the time. This explains the anatomical inaccuracies, such as the shape of the feet and the structure of the trunk, which reflect the imaginative interpretation of exotic creatures common in medieval and early Renaissance art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe engraving demonstrates Schongauer's technical precision with the burin. He uses a system of fine, parallel lines and cross-hatching to define the volume of the animal and the texture of the howdah. The composition is stark, placing the creature against a plain background to focus the viewer on the form. The artist's monogram, M+S, appears at the bottom centre, a mark of his status as a professional printmaker whose work circulated widely across Europe. This print provides a glimpse into the period's curiosity regarding the natural world and the limitations of visual knowledge before the age of global exploration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSchongauer was a significant influence on later artists, including Albrecht Dürer, who collected his prints. The clarity of his line work and his ability to render form through hatching techniques established a standard for printmaking in the German tradition. This piece remains a curious example of how artists of the period synthesised limited information into a coherent visual narrative, blending observation with the conventions of the time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/the-triumph-of-peace-cornelis-cort\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eThe Triumph of Peace - Cornelis Cort — Cornelis Cort\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/daughter-of-herodias-with-the-head-of-s-john-the-baptist-lucas-van-leyden\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eDaughter of Herodias with the Head of S. John the Baptist - Lucas van Leyden — Lucas van Leyden\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Martin Schongauer","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58455774953807,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58455783145807,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58455783178575,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58455783211343,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58455783244111,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58455783276879,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58455783309647,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58455783342415,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58455783375183,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58455783407951,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58455783440719,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58455783473487,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/An-Elephant-with-Howdah_Poster_CompositorV1_1786250332006.jpg?v=1786492099","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/an-elephant-with-howdah-martin-schongauer","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}