An Elephant with Howdah (c. 1485)

Martin Schongauer is the artist behind "An Elephant with Howdah", dated c. 1485. The catalogue places it in Religion. The format is landscape. Religion in brief: Buddhist painting, Hindu devotional imagery, and Islamic calligraphy and ornament each have conventions of their own. Christian art follows long-established iconography, such as the Madonna and Child, the Annunciation, and the Crucifixion. About the period around c. 1485: Printing with movable type spread across Europe in these decades, and woodcuts and engravings began to circulate images far more widely than hand-painted work ever could. The fifteenth century saw the early Renaissance in Italy and the rise of the early Netherlandish painters in the north, when oil paint, linear perspective, and close observation of nature reshaped European painting.

Everything for "An Elephant with Howdah" arrives digitally: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI. Once payment is confirmed, an email brings the download link, and from there you decide how to print it, whether at home, at a print shop, or through an online service. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Matching the frame to the image proportions avoids cropping. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size.

German, 1435–1491

If you like the visual language of Martin Schongauer, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.