Dragon

Woodcut of the Mythical Creature

Geoffroy Ballain
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Submission
Royal Academy Fine Arts, Antwerp
Language
Dutch
Source
Commerical Organisation
Format
Website Content
Era
Early Modern: 1500—1800
Sphere
Cultural
Submission
Royal Academy Fine Arts, Antwerp
Language
Dutch
Source
Commerical Organisation
Format
Website Content
Era
Early Modern: 1500—1800
Sphere
Cultural
Draak, mythisch wezen, Inventory No. MPM.HB.04004, Museum Plantin Moretus, Antwerp

The woodcut of a dragon, created by Geoffroy Ballain (designer) and Jean de Gourmont (woodcut artist), was published in Deux livres des venins by Jacques Grévin in 1568 and later in De venenis libri duo in 1571.

This work represents a dragon, a mythical creature often depicted in early modern texts related to both natural history and mythology. The woodcut was executed using the woodcut printing technique, allowing for intricate visual representation in printed materials.

The image was acquired by the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp in 1876. These publications, particularly Jacques Grévin’s works, combined discussions of poisons and venomous creatures with mythological and natural history elements, reflecting the period's fascination with both the real and the fantastic. The dragon, as depicted here, represents the symbolic power and mystery that these creatures held in early scientific and mythological thinking.

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