Christoph Jamnitzer (1563–1618)
“Grotesque Animal” from Neuw: Grottesken Buch (New: Book of Grotesques)
Etching, 1610
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, Print Collection
“Grotesque Animal” from Neuw: Grottesken Buch (New: Book of Grotesques)
The goldsmith Christoph Jamnitzer produced this print in 1610 as part of a suite of 60 etchings titled the Neuw: Grottesken Buch. He was responding to fashions in so-called grotesque ornaments, named after the fantastical Roman designs that were discovered in underground grottoes in Italy in the late 15th century. Jamnitzer developed the set to publicize his extraordinary powers of invention. The work features an anthropomorphic hound standing on his powerful hind legs, wearing a helmet adorned with feathers and armor ornamented with elaborate scroll-like shapes. The creature bears a striking resemblance to the cynocephalus, or dog-headed person, pictured in John Mandeville’s travels (shown nearby), reflecting the artist’s familiarity with the wondrous peoples that were once thought to inhabit the edges of the known world.
: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, Print Co…
Currently on View at Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
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