In exploring Venice, one discovers the long-entwined history between European culture and the rhinoceros. It dates back to the 16th century with the creation of Dürer's rhinoceros woodcut, followed by the appearance of Clara, the female rhinoceros, in the 18th century. Fast forward to the 21st century, Taiwanese artist Shih Li-Jen rekindled another wave of rhinoceros fascination at the Venice Biennale with his monumental sculptures.

Back in the 16th century, the rhinoceros—a species native to Asia and Africa—never failed to astonish Europe. One such rhinoceros, considered a royal treasure by the King of Portugal, was intended as a diplomatic gift to the Pope. It embarked on a perilous sea voyage but was tragically lost before reaching its destination. This mysterious incident captivated Europe and sparked discourse across fields from science to art.

German artist Albrecht Dürer created his now-iconic rhinoceros woodcut based solely on secondhand descriptions. Despite its anatomical inaccuracy, Dürer’s Rhinocervs engraving became immensely influential across Europe, establishing a visual archetype that persisted for centuries. Not until the arrival of the real-life rhinoceros Clara in the 18th century did Europeans witness the animal's true form.

Between 1741 and 1758, Clara drew massive crowds wherever she went. Her arrival sparked fascination among the European aristocracy, who eagerly hosted her and marveled at her presence.

Born in India in 1738, Clara was orphaned when her mother was killed. She was adopted by the captain of the Dutch East India Company and raised aboard his ship, living among humans and gaining affection from all who met her. Her fame spread across Europe—from England to Poland.

By 1749, Clara reached Versailles and caused a sensation. Aristocrats styled their wigs to mimic rhinoceros horns, composed poems and songs in her honor, and even the French navy named a warship “Rhinoceros.” Amidst the Enlightenment, scientists rushed to examine her, recording detailed measurements in encyclopedias. In art, the rhinoceros became a fashionable subject across painting and sculpture.

According to Irish writer Glynis Ridley's Clara's Grand Tour: Travels through Eighteenth-Century Europe with a Rhinoceros, Clara was known to live amicably with sailors at sea, and was even said to enjoy beer and tobacco. She trusted humans.

However, while rhinoceros horns were prized as rare medicine in Asia, Clara was not spared in Europe. One morning, the captain discovered Clara lying weak—her horn had been brutally sawn off. The scene echoed her mother's fate. Although she survived, the injury marked her permanently. In Pietro Longhi’s painting Clara the Rhinoceros, she is depicted without her horn. Clara passed away in London in 1758. Though the craze subsided, her legacy lived on in commemorative coins, posters, paintings, and historic records.

In the 21st century, Taiwanese artist Shih Li-Jen once again brought the rhinoceros to Venice through his King Kong Rhino series. These sculptures transcend naturalistic depiction, instead embodying the artist’s reflections on civilization, spiritual renewal, and Asia’s cultural legacy.

Through their imposing scale and mirrored surfaces, Shih’s rhinoceroses articulate a vision of ecological coexistence and timeless vitality. No longer symbols of fear or exploitation, they stand as totems of strength, peace, and reverence for life.

May, 2017