Jean de Gourmont (French, 1506-1551)
after Marco Dente da Ravenna (Italian, about 1486–1527)
Lion, Dragon and Fox
INV-4321
Jean de Gourmont (French, 1506-1551)
after Marco Dente da Ravenna (Italian, about 1486–1527)1520/30
Lion, Dragon and Fox
Jean de Gourmont (French, 1506-1551) after Marco Dente da Ravenna (Italian, about 1486–1527) →engravingprint
Date
1520/30
Medium
Engraving on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 11.3 × 15.8 cm (4 1/2 × 6 1/4 in.); Sheet: 11.4 × 16.1 cm (4 1/2 × 6 3/8 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
William McCallin McKee Memorial Endowment
Based on a lost drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, this oval allegory of battling mythical beasts was translated into several different engravings by Italian Renaissance artists as well as by Jean de Gourmont. The banner above the three animals reads “Ergo,” literally meaning “therefore,” a term whose broader significance within this setting is unknown. The print may be a civic political emblem of the lion of Venice attacking the Milan dragon, with an unaffiliated fox as onlooker.