The basilisk, for example, described in Pliny the Elder’s Natural History of ca. Legends associated with these imaginary creatures proved particularly enduring. In addition to providing intriguing interpretations of animals, bestiaries offered tales about the existence of bizarre and loathsome creatures, many of which appeared in medieval art. It was widely read in the Middle Ages and served as a source for artistic invention ( 22.58.1).
#Early medieval art series#
Based on the Greek Physiologus of around the second century, often with important additions from Christian scholars like Saint Ambrose, Isidore of Seville, and Rabanus Maurus, the Bestiary is a collection of descriptions and interpretations of animals, intended as both a natural history and a series of moral and religious lessons. The Bestiary developed in medieval Europe in the twelfth century. In the calendars of feasts found in religious manuscripts, animals, as zodiacal symbols and as participants in seasonal activities, provided a visual shorthand for the months of the year in the margins of the manuscripts, animals appear in domestic settings: cats playing with strings, dogs chewing bones ( 54.1.2).Īnimals also served as vehicles for religious allegory and moral instruction. Jesus’ personal humility was demonstrated by the account of his riding a donkey into the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, an event reenacted annually in Germanic lands during the late Middle Ages. By the fifth century, the four winged beasts described in Ezekiel and the Book of Revelation were firmly associated with the four writers of the Gospels and thereafter became a standard feature in the decoration of luxury gospel books and their covers ( 17.190.757). Doves crafted out of precious materials could be found suspended above the altar in both Byzantine and Western churches ( 17.190.344). The description in all four Gospels of the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove from heaven (Matt. The Bible is also rich in animal symbolism. Artists frequently represented the lively biblical accounts of human interaction with animals, from the days of Creation ( 17.190.156), to Noah’s Ark, to Jonah and the Big Fish ( 77.7), to Daniel in the Den of Lions ( 1987.442.4). The griffin, regarded in antiquity as an attendant of Apollo and a keeper of light, retained its role as a guardian figure for the dead even in later Christian contexts ( 2000.81). Christians adopted the lamb as a symbol of Christ, emphasizing his sacrifice for humanity ( 17.190.38). The lamb served as an important sacrificial animal in ancient Near Eastern religious rites, including those of the Israelites. Animal forms were employed to imbue utilitarian objects with majesty ( 1994.244) and even humor.Īnimals also carried a rich variety of symbolic associations often drawn from the past. Deluxe Bibles and gospel books often make use of animal designs to enliven the sacred text ( 1999.364.2). Early medieval jewelry, for instance, abounds with animal forms elongated and twisted into intricate patterns ( 1992.59.1).
Artists readily employed animal motifs, along with foliate designs, as part of their decorative vocabulary. Animals, both real and fantastic, occupied an important place in medieval art and thought.
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