Not on display

A unicorn killing a hind and a dragon

Paolo Uccello (1397 - 1475)

Artist/Maker

Material / Technique

Pen and brown ink, brown wash on light-red prepared paper

Dimensionsh x w x d: Ram 84,7 x 69,7 x 3,5 cm

Inventory numberNMH 46b/1863

Other titlesTitle (sv): En enhörning som dödar en hind och en drake Title (en): A unicorn killing a hind and a dragon Title (en): NMH 45a-d/1863 (recto) and NMH 46a-c/1863: Studies of Animals and Figures Inventory title (sv): På baksidan: Diverse djur m.m. Title (fr): NMH 45a-d/1863 (recto) et NMH 46a-c/1863: Feuilles d’études d’animaux et de figures

DescriptionDescription: A unicorn killing a hind and a dragon. To the right, beside the dragon fragments of a lion. Inscribed in pen and brown ink over the dragon: bavalisco. Numbered in pen and brown ink: 18. and, on the Vasari mount at lower right: 3. (Tessin). Inscribed on the Vasari mount, below: Paolo Vcello Pittore Fiorent° and, in Tessin´s handwriting: Vieux Maitres de Florence. Cabinet de Crozat. Du recueil de Vasari. Numbered at the upper edge: 7 (before Vasari). The following animals figure in other Fiorentine patternbooks: Unicorn killing a hind 1 Fiorentine pattern book, c. 1400. Cabinet Edmond de Rothschild, Paris, Fol. 5 v (Degenhart & Schmitt, cat. 154, pl. 187 d). 2 Uccello workshop. NMH 45d/1863 v. (This catalogue no. 1071 v) (Degenhart & Schmitt cat. 319 verso) 3 Florentine animal pattern book, c. 1460-1470. Uffizi, Florence, 14504 F r. (Degenhart & Schmitt, cat. 631, pl. 442i) Dragon Fiorentine pattern book, c. 1400. Cabinet Edmond de Rothschild, Paris, Fol. 2 (Degenhart & Schmitt, cat 154, pl. 187a) For comments see preceding no [Nos 1068 and 1069]: Degenhart and Schmitt characterise our group of drawings as belonging to the most important Middle Italian drawings of the first half of the 15th century. This applies to these very traditional model-sheets which, although they repeat earlier versions of the subjects, represent a creative and fresh attitude which had only one equivalent in Northern Italy: Pisanello. Stylistically they are closelly connected to the doublesheet in Dijon and Vienna which are also iconographically attached to Uccello´s painted oeuvre. The inscriptions on the Stockholm, dijon and Vienna drawings are by the same hand, not Uccello´s however. [Bjurström, It. Drawings, cat. no. 1069 (NMH 46b/1863 (verso)]

Collection

Geographical origin

Geographical origin: Italy

MaterialPaper, Ink

TechniqueWash drawing

Object category