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Animals, both real and fantastic, occupied an important place in medieval art and thought. Artists readily employed animal motifs, along with foliate designs, as part of their decorative vocabulary. Early medieval jewelry, for instance, abounds with animal forms elongated and twisted into intricate patterns (1992.59.1).
Animals tumble, soar, and race through the pages of the bestiary, a popular type of medieval book describing the beasts of the world. Abounding with vibrant and fascinating images, the bestiary brought real and fantastical creatures to life for readers.
Along with creatures medieval Europeans were familiar with—horses, dogs, foxes, and cows—the bestiary also described animals from faraway lands such as elephants, tigers, and as seen in...
Explore the use of animals as symbols in medieval art with viewing questions and a group drawing activity at The Met Cloisters or in the classroom.
Beasts, both real and fantastic, swarm, creep, and scramble across the pages of manuscripts made in the Middle Ages (about 500–1500 A.D.). Animals were an essential aspect of almost every facet of life in this period.
1 cze 2017 · In medieval and Renaissance art, these animals were sometimes seen as stand-ins for humans. An ape holding an apple signified the fall of man, while a fettered monkey represented humans encumbered by earthly, base desires.
28 sty 2022 · Medieval art abounds in animals, both real and imaginary. Common creatures such as lions, birds, and monkeys appear beside fantastical dragons , griffins, centaurs, unicorns, and grotesques. They occur everywhere from large sculptures on Gothic cathedrals to tiny patterns in luxury textiles.
