{"product_id":"clara-the-rhinoceros-pietro-longhi","title":"Clara the Rhinoceros - Pietro Longhi","description":"\u003cp\u003eA Venetian genre painting depicting the famous rhinoceros Clara being observed by masked aristocrats in an eighteenth-century enclosure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePietro Longhi, a Venetian painter known for his documentation of daily life, captured this unusual spectacle during the mid-eighteenth century. The rhinoceros, named Clara, was a sensation across Europe, having been brought from India by a Dutch sea captain. Longhi depicts the animal in a makeshift enclosure, surrounded by Venetian aristocrats who observe the creature with a mixture of curiosity and detachment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition reflects the social customs of the period. The spectators wear traditional Venetian carnival attire, including the bauta mask and the tricorne hat. These garments obscure their identities, creating a sense of anonymity that contrasts with the singular, exotic presence of the rhinoceros. The animal itself is rendered with a focus on its physical form, standing in profile against a simple wooden partition. Longhi uses a muted palette, allowing the textures of the rhinoceros hide and the elaborate fabrics of the onlookers to provide visual interest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work belongs to a series of paintings by Longhi that record the presence of Clara in Venice. It provides a glimpse into the public entertainment of the era, where the arrival of a rare animal became a social event for the elite. The painting avoids grand narrative, instead offering a direct observation of a specific moment. The interaction between the natural world and the artificiality of Venetian society is a recurring theme in Longhi's output. By placing the rhinoceros in a domestic or semi-domestic setting, the artist emphasises the absurdity and the novelty of the encounter. The painting remains a record of both the animal's tour and the fashion of the Venetian public during the eighteenth century.\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\/apotheosis-of-hercules-giovanni-domenico-tiepolo\" 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;\"\u003eApotheosis of Hercules - Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo — Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/mrs-ralph-izard-alice-de-lancey-thomas-gainsborough\" 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;\"\u003eMrs. Ralph Izard (Alice De Lancey) - Thomas Gainsborough — Thomas Gainsborough\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Pietro Longhi","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58579478872399,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58579656409423,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58579656442191,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58579656474959,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58579656507727,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58579656540495,"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":58579656573263,"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":58579656606031,"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":58579656638799,"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":58579656671567,"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":58579656704335,"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":58579656737103,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Clara-the-Rhinoceros_Poster_CompositorV1_1787836755548.jpg?v=1787837298","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/clara-the-rhinoceros-pietro-longhi","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}