My God look at that Croc!

This engraving, "Africa" by the flemish engraver Adrian Collaert (1560 -1618), is from an allegorical series based on the four continents.  This image as well as the other three from the series are a collaboration with the painter Marten de Vos (1532-1608). Collaert is from and engraving dynasty, his father and sons all followed him in the trade of making and the publishing of prints.  Out of all them, Adrian stands out in terms of technical excellence...... but more importantly in terms of imagination.  While not as masterful at engraving copper as Durer or Goltzius, Collaert's "Africa" is carried by whimsy and invention!  Alluding to the wild and exotic nature that is Africa, a woman rides a grinning crocodile that seems almost human.  This crocodile could be out of a Looney Tunes escapade, or any low budget B level horror flick.  Despite all this, the damn thing has a presence and might be my favorite depiction of a croc or alligator in all of art history! (this includes any version by Sean Star Wars). Sometimes, what is from the imagination ends up seeming more real and menacing than the actual thing.  It is doubtful Collaert had ever even seen a REAL crocodile, and as a viewer I am thanking the print gods for it.  Not always, but sometimes a bit of magic happens when technical limitations marry with vivid imagination resulting in some kind of overall mastery.  This is in fact one of those rare moments in print history.  I absolutely love this print. To read all about Collaert and the other prints in the "Four Continents" series check out this LINK!

P.S. Back in the day, an image of a woman riding a goat backwards was intended to represent a witch.   Don't know what a woman riding a croc backwards may mean, but it is certainly evil food for thought!

Adrian Collaert, Africa, engraving, 8 3/16 x 10 3/16 in, 1588-89