Book of Beasts – The Bestiary in the Medieval World (Getty Publications –)

Description

Brimming with lively animals both real and fantastic, the bestiary was one of the great illuminated manuscript traditions of the Middle Ages. Encompassing imaginary creatures, such as the unicorn, siren and griffin; exotic beasts, including the tiger, elephant and ape; as well as animals native to Europe, like the beaver, dog and hedgehog, the bestiary is a vibrant testimony to the medieval understanding of animals and their role in the world. So iconic were the stories and images of the bestiary that its beasts essentially escaped from the pages, appearing in a wide variety of manuscripts and other objects, including tapestries, ivories, metalwork and sculpture. With over 270 colour illustrations and contributions by twenty-five leading medieval scholars, this gorgeous volume explores the bestiary and its widespread influence on medieval art and culture as well as on modern and contemporary artists like Pablo Picasso and Damien Hirst. Cover Contents I. Introducing the bestiary The medieval bestiary: text and illumination Animal tales. Stories and images from the bestiary II. Exploring the bestiary The textual kaleidoscope of the medieval bestiary Patrons and artists: tradition and invention in medieval illuminated bestiaries Accommodating antlers, making room for hedgehogs, and other problems of page design in the medieval bestiary The function of Latin bestiaries in medieval miscellanies Expanding the bestiary’s meaning: The case of Bodleian Ms. 764 Painted animal images and the Greek Physiologus The bestiary in translation Beasts at court: Reading the bestiary in the late thirteenth century III. Beyond the bestiary The bestiary beyond the book King of the beasts: Feline aquamanilia Cosmic creatures: Animals in Hebrew illuminated manuscripts Encyclopedic beasts Beast lore in the Islamic tradition The bestiary on medieval world maps Monsters, animals, maps, and sources Epilogue. Legacy of the bestiary The bestiary in the modern age Appendices 1. List of bestiaries in the catalogue 2. List of all extant illuminated Latin bestiaries 3. Order of animals in selected bestiaries 4. Textual editions, translations, and facsimiles of bestiaries References Illustration credits Index