alexfensome:Matthew Paris#8217; drawing of an elephant and its riders from his Chronica Majora. Pari
alexfensome:Matthew Paris#8217; drawing of an elephant and its riders from his Chronica Majora. Paris was an exhaustive historian of the 13th century and a primary source for the reign of Henry III. But he was also an inveterate doodler who dotted his work with illustrations. The elephant was given to King Henry’s brother Richard of Cornwall as a gift by the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick.when he drew this Paris had not seen an elephant. King Louis of France later gave an elephant to Henry, which was kept at the Tower of London. Paris got to see it and drew a more lifelike, famous picture of it. But I prefer this one. The elephant seems happy but I doubt it was. -- source link
#medieval#art#illumination#animal