Beasts: Factual & Fantastic

Medieval Imagination

by Elizabeth Morrison

Manuscripts of the middle ages teem with pictures of animals, ranging from fierce hunting hawks tied to their owners' wrists, to proud lions added to the coasts of arms of noblemen, to terrify monsters of the Apocalypse. The images in this volume provide a window onto a time when animals both factual and fantastic played a leading role in the medieval imagination. series of small, affordable books that will draw on manuscript illuminations from the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Each volume will focus on a particular theme or subject as represented by medieval artists. Often, as in the case of the imaginary beasts that readers will encounter in this volume, artists depicted that which they did not see or know, but which was nonetheless shaped by the prevailing beliefs, fears, and rudimentary science of the time. In other cases, manuscript illuminators recorded what they indeed did see - which, centuries later, reveals much about the world in which they lived.

Genres: Art, History, Animals, Nonfiction

112 pages, Hardcover

First published June 25, 2007

Reviews

[kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

there is a closeup of a manuscript in the getty museum. it depicts a lamb wielding a sword, beheading a king. that one is my favorite ok

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this book from the gift shop at the Getty museum in LA last year. Didn't get around to reading it until this month. A rather short book mainly consisting of pictures of animals and otherworldly beasts in medieval manuscripts. A lot of beautiful and often amusing images in here. Wild stuff and a testament to the human imagination.

Accompanying the images are helpful and informative descriptions. There's also a paragraph starting each section with info on the theme of the images. Among the sections is one on animal depictions in manuscripts, another on demons and dragons, and another on religious symbolism, and more.

Also shout-out to this book for introducing me to Reynard the fox and his companions!

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are better bestiary type books to consult, I think. This is nicely printed, though.

[Mathilda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another easy to absorb book which serves as a great introduction to medieval beasts and bestiaries. I loved the immersive quality of the images, another coffee book that I can see myself picking up often! Definitely would recommend for beginners to the study of the Middle Ages or those interested in the medieval.

[Joseph Maria O.T.F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maravilhoso. Mas percebi um erro: O anjo que acompanha Tobias é o Arcanjo Rafael, não Miguel como o livro diz.

[Alaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish it was longer and went into more detail about the artwork, but the artwork was delightful.

[Irene Lázaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

No es que tenga una obsesión con los monstruos en la Edad Media (que también) es que estoy haciendo un trabajo de investigación del tema. En este caso, el libro es muy breve y para principiantes pero tiene unas imágenes muy buenas y me ha descubierto códices que no conocías. La clasificación que hace de las bestias y los ejemplos que pone me parecen interesantes también.