Rembrandt's elephant : following in Hansken's footsteps

Hansken is by far the most famous elephant of the seventeenth century. Brought to Holland at the request of the Prince of Orange, she arrived in Amsterdam in the summer of 1633. Her arrival did not go unnoticed. The elephant was at once a major attraction. Until her death in Florence in 1655, she would continue to astound the public with her fixed repertoire of tricks, including fencing with a sword and firing a pistol. Kings, students, scholars, preachers and travelers, everyone was interested. Hansken’s host of admirers included Rembrandt and Stefano della Bella, both of whom saw and drew her.
For many years a certain Cornelis Jacobs van Groenevelt criss-crossed Europe with the celebrated elephant. It is possible to follow this triumphal journey using countless contemporary mentions and depictions.
M. Roscam Abbing, “Elephant Hansken”; www.elephanthansken.com