The Griffin

Martin Schongauer

Cleveland Museum of Art

The Griffin by Martin Schongauer. A mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. The creature is standing on all fours, with its body facing right and its head turned to the right. It has a large beak, sharp teeth, and long neck feathers. Its wings are spread out to the sides, with feathers visible on the wings and body. The creature has a long tail with a tuft at the end. Its front feet resemble bird feet with sharp claws, while its back feet resemble lion feet. The background is a light brown color with darker shading around the edges. The artist's initials "M+S" are written in small letters at the bottom center.