Medieval Book Illustrations and Manuscript Illustrations Animals and Mythical Creatures

 

The camel in a medieval bestiary (England 2nd quarter of the 13th century)

The amphivena

Detail of a basilisk killing a man with its gaze and being attacked by a weasel 12th Century

Basilisk wearing a crown

The leucrota is somewhat confusingly described as having the rear parts of a stag, and the chest and legs of a lion, but with cloven hooves. Its most distinctive characteristic is its charming wide-mouthed grin, which stretches across its head. Its teeth are single, continuous pieces of bone, and it is capable of imitating the sound of a human voice.

Bestiary and Lapidary ('the Rochester Bestiary') 12th - 14th Century

Detail of a hell-mouth with three beasts, a devil and many souls inside

Tapestry 

https://www.thecultureconcept.com/book-of-beasts-the-bestiary-in-the-medieval-world-getty

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/medieval-bestiary-allegories

A Bonnacon, from Kongelige Bibliotek

Early drawing of a Crocodile

https://forwardtopast.wordpress.com/2016/10/21/10-weird-medieval-beasts/

http://facsimilium.blogspot.com/2014/07/creatures-from-medieval-bestiaries-12th_3007.html

Luttrell Psalter, 14th century.

https://www.messynessychic.com/2019/03/28/the-unexpected-relevance-of-medieval-monsters/

Japanese Prints and Woodcuts of Dragons and Mythical Creatures

 

Utagawa Toyokuni, Black and Green Dragon, 

Woodcut Print on Paper 

Japanese, Edo period, 1615–1868.

Woodblock print by Hajime Namiki, Blue Dragon 2012

Woodblock print by Hajime Namiki, Blue Dragon 2012

Dragon no8 Woodblock print by Hajime Namiki, 2007

European Woodcut Dragon 15th Century

Tamatori escaping from the Dragon King 

wood block print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi 1853

UTAGAWA-KUNIYOSHI-1798-1861

WARRIORS 1850 woodblock print

Samurai Warrior in a Dragon Robe by Kuniyoshi Utagawa 

 Japanese Woodblock Print 19th Century

Keisai Eisen (1790-1848)

Woodcut 1825

Dragon And Tiger

Utagawa Sadahide,  (1807-1873)

Yoshitsuya (1822 – 1866) 

Fire Breathing Demon
 approx 1860

More Japanese Print Dragons click to see

Utagawa Yoshitsuya, Earth Spider, c. 1847–1852, triptych, woodblock print, 

Sukioka Yoshitoshi, Moon of Musashi Plain, from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon, 1892, woodblock print

New Year's Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree, Ōji

Utagawa Hiroshige 1857

see also

12 Zodiac Animals in Japanese Art

Original Toyokuni III/Kunisada (1786 - 1864) Japanese Woodblock Print

Ne Brigade, Ninth Group, Nekomatabashi (Monster Cat Bridge)

Kitsune Woodcut Print date and Artist unknown

Viking Art

 

Viking Ships figurehead - front of longboat late 4th or early 5th Century (400-500AD)
Ship's figurehead of carved oak. The terminal is an animal head in the round, with gaping beak-like jaws and prominent teeth and eyes. Viking Ships Prow is in the British Museum

Ship Figurehead from the Oseberg Ship approx 800AD

They were their owners’ proudest possession, an essential part of a life of a Viking, and considered a treasure. Craftsmen decorated these ships with elegant elaborate head pieces. One of the most outstanding might be its figurehead. Often, the front of the ship was decorated with a carving of an animal head, perhaps a dragon or a snake, and designed to frighten the spirits of the land the Vikings were raiding. These carvings were put up when the ship was sailing in to land.

Viking Carving

Wood carvings on Urnes Church 1100AD

20th Century American wood carving inspired by or based on the Urnes Church carvings

Other things to look at


Viking Jewellery / Torcs (type of Jewellery Necklace


http://www.urweg.com/viking-celtic-torcs-neckrings.html


Also look up concept of Ouroboros




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouroboros

Celtic Art Animals 

Illuminated Letters from Book Of Kells 800 AD

Icelandic Illustraed Manuscript 1700AD

 Viking Helmets

Viking helmets found at Yarm and Gjermundbu 

Sculpture Heads

 

Jacob Epstein Head Of A Boy 1950

Henry Moore Cabeza  De Mujer 1926

Elizabeth Frink 1967

Elizabeth Frink 1989

GCSE Art - Animals Project - Animal Sculpture from Junk

Birds Sculpture by Barbara Franc

Link to Artists Website  

GCSE Art - Animals Project - Alice In Wonderland Animals

Different illustrators have illustrated Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland Stories

John Tenniel 

John Tenniel

Charles Robinson

Arthur Rackham

And many many others. If you look up Alice In Wonderland Illustrators you will be amazed how many different Artists have had a go at illustrating the story. DO NOT DO DISNEY FILM images

GCSE Art - Animals Project - Unusual Sculpture

Tipu or Tipoo's Tiger

A sculpture that is also a musical instrument made by an unknown craftsperson for Tipu an 18th Century ruler of the Mysore region of India

Listen to it being played

Some context and history