The rhinoceros Dürer's Rhinoceros

the first known print of rhinoceros rather primitive woodcut illustrates poem giovanni giacomo penni published in rome in july 1515. (biblioteca colombina, seville).

on 20 may 1515, indian rhinoceros arrived in lisbon far east. in 1514, afonso de albuquerque, governor of portuguese india, sent ambassadors sultan muzaffar shah ii, ruler of cambay (modern gujarat), seek permission build fort on island of diu. mission returned without agreement, diplomatic gifts exchanged, including rhinoceros. @ time, rulers of different countries send each other exotic animals kept in menagerie. rhinoceros accustomed being kept in captivity. albuquerque decided forward gift, known gujarati name of genda, , indian keeper, named ocem, king manuel of portugal. sailed on nossa senhora da ajuda, left goa in january 1515. ship, captained francisco pereira coutinho, , 2 companion vessels, loaded exotic spices, sailed across indian ocean, around cape of hope , north through atlantic, stopping briefly in mozambique, saint helena , azores.

after relatively fast voyage of 120 days, rhinoceros unloaded in portugal, near site manueline belém tower under construction. tower later decorated gargoyles shaped rhinoceros heads under corbels. rhinoceros had not been seen in europe since roman times: had become of mythical beast, conflated in bestiaries monoceros (unicorn), arrival of living example created sensation. in context of renaissance, piece of classical antiquity had been rediscovered, statue or inscription.

the animal examined scholars , curious, , letters describing fantastic creature sent correspondents throughout europe. earliest known image of animal illustrates poemetto florentine giovanni giacomo penni, published in rome on 13 july 1515, fewer 8 weeks after arrival in lisbon. known copy of original published poem held institución colombina in seville.

it housed in king manuel s menagerie @ ribeira palace in lisbon, separate elephants , other large beasts @ estaus palace. on trinity sunday, 3 june, manuel arranged fight young elephant collection, test account pliny elder elephant , rhinoceros bitter enemies. rhinoceros advanced , deliberately towards foe; elephant, unaccustomed noisy crowd turned out witness spectacle, fled field in panic before single blow struck.

creation of animals raphael, 1518–1519, fresco on second floor of palazzi pontifici in vatican. rhinoceros appears right of tree, elephant [possibly hanno] left.

manuel decided give rhinoceros gift medici pope leo x. king keen curry favour pope, maintain papal grants of exclusive possession new lands naval forces had been exploring in far east since vasco da gama discovered sea route india around africa in 1498. previous year, pope had been pleased manuel s gift of white elephant, india, pope had named hanno. other precious gifts of silver plate , spices, rhinoceros, new collar of green velvet decorated flowers, embarked in december 1515 voyage tagus rome. vessel passed near marseille in 1516. king francis of france returning saint-maximin-la-sainte-baume in provence, , requested viewing of beast. portuguese vessel stopped briefly @ island off marseilles, rhinoceros disembarked beheld king on 24 january.

after resuming journey, ship wrecked in sudden storm passed through narrows of porto venere, north of la spezia on coast of liguria. rhinoceros, chained , shackled deck keep under control, unable swim safety , drowned. carcass of rhinoceros recovered near villefranche, , hide returned lisbon, stuffed. reports mounted skin sent rome, arriving in february 1516, exhibited impagliato (italian stuffed straw ), although such feat have challenged 16th-century methods of taxidermy, still primitive. if stuffed rhinoceros did arrive in rome, fate remains unknown: might have been removed florence medici, or destroyed in 1527 sack of rome. in event, there not popular sensation in rome living beast had caused in lisbon, although rhinoceros depicted in contemporary paintings in rome giovanni da udine , raphael.