Old Master Drawings

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Lot 84
  • 84

German School 18th Century

Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
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Description

  • four scenes with elephants, rhinos and warring figures: designs for book illustrations

  • All pen and brown ink and grey wash over black chalk; two (nos. 7 and 8) with paper pentimenti;
    all numbered and with lengthy narrative descriptions beneath each scene and on verso

Provenance

T.H. Clarke, Esq.

Condition

All sold nicely mounted in modern wood and gilt frames (not seen out of frames). All have very slight, pale foxing, but barely noticeable. One (no.2) is made up slightly at the upper left corner. Ink still fresh and strong and the overall impression is good.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Included in this cycle of four scenes is a drawing of a fight between an elephant and a rhino, a surprisingly popular theme throughout western art which originated from Pliny's description of the creatures' natural animosity in his Natural History (AD 23-79).  The text, translated into German, was transcribed by Dürer in his celebrated 1515 drawing of the Rhinoceros,1 and was also included in most editions of the woodcut.  The composition of the drawing of this subject in the present group, with the rhino spearing the elephant's left side and the elephant's trunk snaking towards the rhino in defence, compares to two prints of the subject: one by Ambroise Paré for his Discours... de la Mumie (1582) and Antonio Tempesta's Rhinoceros Fight of 1605.2 

The drawings formerly belonged to T.H. Clarke, the foremost authority on representations of rhinos.

1. British Museum inv. no. 5128-161
2. See T.H. Clarke, The Rhinoceros from Dürer to Stubbs. 1515-1799, London 1986, pp. 157/159, figs. 121 and 123