DailyArt Magazine Survey Traces Elephant Symbolism from Ganesha to Warhol

DailyArt Magazine published a survey by Cristina Correia tracing the elephant across art history, from a ca. 1730 Basohli miniature of Lord Ganesha in the National Museum, New Delhi, to Gustave Moreau's The Sacred Elephant (Péri) at the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. The article examines twelve works, including Hanabusa Itchō's ukiyo-e print Blind Monks Examining an Elephant (1652–1724, Library of Congress), the Flemish tapestry The Triumph of Fame over Death (ca. 1500–1530, Metropolitan Museum of Art), and a page from the Akbarnama (ca. 1590–1595, Victoria and Albert Museum) drawn by Basawan and colored by Chetar. Rembrandt's 1637 drawing An Elephant (Albertina, Vienna) depicts the Asian elephant Hansken, while Franz Marc's Traum (Kunstmuseum Bern) and Wassily Kandinsky's The Elephant (1908, private collection) represent Expressionist approaches. Max Ernst's Celebes (1921, Tate Modern) and Salvador Dalí's Swans Reflecting Elephants (1937, private collection) explore Surrealist symbolism. Amrita Sher-Gil's Two Elephants (1940, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi) bridges Indian heritage, and Andy Warhol's African Elephant (1983, Galeries Bartoux Singapore) was commissioned for the 10th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. The article concludes by noting elephants' complex communication, social learning, and ecological role, while lamenting their exploitation and advocating preservation. A postcard set featuring animal depictions is also promoted.