Praalwagen met de olifant, 1582 1582

This anonymous engraving from 1582, titled "Praalwagen met de olifant", depicts a fantastical procession featuring an elephant carrying a small, ornate tower topped with flags. The elephant is adorned with elaborate trappings and appears to be pulling a small platform. The detailed rendering of the animal and its elaborate decoration is characteristic of 16th-century Dutch engravings, which often showcased scenes of pageantry and exotic animals. This artwork, held at the Rijksmuseum, offers a glimpse into the fascination with spectacle and the allure of the unknown in Renaissance Europe.