Griffin - Friedrich Justin Bertuch, 1806. (Mythical Creature Art Print)
This vintage art print shows a griffin standing calmly in a simple landscape. The creature has the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, drawn with clear lines and soft color on a warm parchment style background. It has a quiet, storybook feel that works well in a study, reading corner or bedroom, especially next to books, wood and darker tones.
About this art print
This print is based on an illustration by Friedrich Justin Bertuch, a German publisher best known for his children’s encyclopedia Bilderbuch für Kinder in the early 1800s. In that work he gathered images of animals, plants, machines and myths, including legendary creatures like the griffin. The idea of the griffin as a guardian goes back to ancient stories, where it was said to watch over gold and hidden treasures.
Bertuch’s version keeps the pose simple. The griffin stands in profile so you can clearly see the eagle head, hooked beak, feathered wings and the strong lion body behind them. The ground line, rocks and plants are lightly sketched, which makes the creature itself the main focus. In other drawings, like his unicorn, he uses the same calm, almost textbook style, so the animals feel like they belong to the same small imagined world.
Craft & finish
This vintage griffin art print is made on hand processed paper, highlighted with subtle gold and sealed with beeswax so it feels close to real parchment when you hold it. The surface catches the light softly on the texture of the paper, but colors can look a little different from screen to screen.
You can find more pieces like this in our Vintage Art Prints collection.
Griffin (Friedrich Justin Bertuch, 1806.) - Vintage Art Print
In case your print creases during the travel, as it usually does travel for some time, you can safely warm it up with a hair-dryer, and the wax will melt back right into it. You can also use a lighter, which is a much faster method, but be careful to keep the flame either above the paper or parallel to it (which means holding the paper vertically) so it doesn't smudge or even catch fire. The chance of the print actually creasing is very small, as they are rolled in bubble-wrap and shipped in a cardboard box. Also, be sure to keep the print out of the direct sunlight, as it can melt or fade.
Visit the link below to see more about how our replicas are made, how to display them, and repair the damage:
https://www.artifex-replicas.com/post/about-our-parchment-replicas
