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David Kandel

1520 – 1592

German 16th century illustrator

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About David Kandel

Lived 1520 – 1592 (aged 71–72). David Kandel was a painter and printmaker.

"The “Rhinoceros" woodcut (34 × 20.5 cm or 11.8×8.0 inches) by David Kandel, published in Sebastian Münster's “Cosmographia” of 1598. The obvious resemblance with Dürer's Rhinoceros is quite clear. (From Dr. Nuno Carvalho de Sousa Private Collections - Lisbon)

David Kandel (1520–1592) was a Renaissance artist and one of the pioneers of botanical and natural history illustration. Very little is known of his personal life.

Biography He was probably born in Strasbourg, in 1520. He married in 1554 and 33 years later, in 1587, was recorded as "owner of a house". He died in 1592. His works and woodcuts are diverse in subject, from botanical illustrations to biblical events.

The Kreuterbuch (or “The Book of the Herbs”), by Hieronymus Bock, used woodcuts of a quality far ahead of its time. Commissioned by Bock, Kandel contributed some 550 woodcuts to the second edition published in 1546.

The woodcut “Rhinoceros”, for the work Cosmographia (or “Cosmography”) by Sebastian Munster, is based on the Dürer sketch.

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Important facts

Born
1520, Strasbourg
Birth century
Died
1592
Occupation

People in David Kandel's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped David Kandel's

Frequently asked questions

Who was David Kandel?

German 16th century illustrator

When was David Kandel born?

David Kandel was born in 1520 in Strasbourg.

When did David Kandel die?

David Kandel died in 1592.

What was David Kandel's occupation?

David Kandel was a painter and printmaker.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: David Kandel

· Wikidata: Q1174935

· DBpedia: David Kandel

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Kandel. https://biography.guide/david-kandel/

MLA: "David Kandel." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-kandel/.

Chicago: "David Kandel." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-kandel/.

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