Marine bull, detail (recto) blank (verso) 1500 - 1560

This anonymous drawing, "Marine bull, detail (recto) blank (verso)," depicts a fantastical creature with the head and body of a bull and the tail of a fish. Created sometime between 1500 and 1560, the drawing showcases the artist's delicate penmanship, which renders the creature's form in fine lines and subtle shading. The detail of the bull's head and the intricate scales of its fish tail suggest a study of nature and a fascination with the fantastical. The drawing, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a testament to the rich imagination of Renaissance artists.