Famous Animals

Prince Maurice’s private collection included a cassowary bird that a Dutch East India Company captain had brought back from a voyage. For artists wanting to depict these unfamiliar animals it was very important to see them in real life. Rembrandt and his contemporaries studied lions at the annual market and fair in Amsterdam. Rembrandt also made drawings of Hansken, an elephant who was famous for the tricks she performed. In the 18th century, Clara, a rhinoceros from Bengal, toured Europe for many years with her Dutch owner and became very famous. In 2022 the Rijksmuseum devoted an entire exhibition to Clara. In her lifetime she was a revelation for scientists, a muse for artists and a sensation for the public at large.