The Little Owl

Dürer used his watercolor studies and nature sketches as source material for his prints. Among his works you can find a lot of different animals - rhinos, lions, hares and this small owl. Ironically, it was Dürer's interest in the animal world that ultimately led to his death. On a trip to the Netherlands in 1520, it is believed that he may have contracted malaria in the swamps of Zeeland when traveling to see a beached whale. He died in 1528 as a result of the disease.