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Andrea Mantegna - Detail of the Elephants from "The Triumph of Caesar", late 15th century

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This vertical rectangular pen and ink drawing on paper can be found hanging on one of the panels in the Short Gallery. It depicts a crowded scene of figures standing behind a relatively tall, horned four-legged animal with its body positioned to face left but its head turned to face our right. On the side of the animal’s body is what appears to be an elephant’s trunk. Two figures directly behind the animal face towards our left, but turn their heads to our right, as if watching someone or something approaching. Other figures stand with their backs to the viewer.  In the background is a standing, covered urn, and there are carvings in the stone setting. Inscribed in pen and brown ink on the lower right are the letters I.P. 

After Andrea Mantegna (Padua province, about 1431 - 1506, Mantua)

Detail from The Elephants from "The Triumph of Caesar", late 15th century

Pen and brown ink with brown wash on hand laid paper , 17.2 x 12.2 cm (6 3/4 x 4 13/16 in.)

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Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.