The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 22, 2024

The Griffin

The Griffin

c. 1480–90
(German, c.1450–1491)
Germany, 15th century
engraving
Sheet: 10.8 x 10.3 cm (4 1/4 x 4 1/16 in.); Mat Size: 49 x 36.2 cm (19 5/16 x 14 1/4 in.)
Dudley P. Allen Fund 1926.466
Catalogue raisonné: Lehrs V.337.93
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Compare Schongauer's griffin with two CMA sculptures of the same subject, once placed as guardian figures in the portal of an Italian Romanesque Christian church (1928.861.1 and 1928.861.2).

Description

According to medieval bestiaries (books of beasts), the griffin is an imaginary and immensely dangerous creature, believed to carry off humans and oxen. Usually depicted with the body of a lion and the head, wings, and claws of an eagle, the griffin symbolizes both courage and vigilance. Its dual nature also signifies that of Christ himself: divine (bird) and human (animal). Martin Schongauer's griffin is an unusual combination of an eagle and an ox—see the back hoofed paws—departing from the traditional representation of this animal as part eagle and part lion. With a few bold strokes of the burin, Schongauer rendered in a naturalistic way the shape and texture of the feathers and fur of this fabled beast.
  • ?-1926
    (Gutekunst & Klipstein, Bern, Switzerland, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1926-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1928. Reproduced: p. 49 archive.org
    Kathman, Barbara A. A Cleveland Bestiary. Cleveland, OH; Cleveland Museum of Art, 1981. Reproduced: p. 21; Mentioned: p. 21, p. 61
    Mikolic, Amanda. A Field Guide to Medieval Monsters. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2019. Reproduced: p. 8
  • Animal Fables of India (Indian art rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 12-August 29, 2021).
    Medieval Monsters: Terrors, Aliens, Wonders. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (July 7-October 6, 2019).
    Images of the Mind. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 7-August 30, 1987).
    A Cleveland Bestiary. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 15-December 16, 1981).
    Eight Masters of the Print. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (October 14, 1980-January 18, 1981).
    15th Century German Engravings. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 15-December 11, 1938).
    Inaugural Exhibition of the New Print Gallery - Prints from the Museum Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 10-November 13, 1938).
    15th Century German and Netherlands Prints from the Museum Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 11-28, 1935).
    Italian and German Prints of the 15th Century. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 29, 1933-January 3, 1934).
  • {{cite web|title=The Griffin|url=false|author=Martin Schongauer|year=c. 1480–90|access-date=22 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1926.466