Beasts – both real and imaginary played a central role in medieval societies, providing a constant source of inspiration for artists. This seminar examines the pervasive presence of real animals, symbolic creatures, and fantastical beasts in pre-modern European art, literature, and material culture. Delving into the religious, philosophical, and symbolic nuances inherent in the representation of beasts, this seminar explores the medieval fascination with animals and monsters across various genres, including bestiaries, cartography, heraldry, manuscript illuminations, and monumental art. Furthermore, this course analyzes how real and imaginary beasts emerged in medieval and early modern religious thought as stereotypical identifiers of otherness and vehicles for textual and visual polemics in Christian, Muslim, and Jewish contexts.
By learning how to unfold the multiple layers of socio-religious symbolism and moral teachings behind the representation of domestic and exotic animals (from dogs and “killer” rabbits to monkeys and giraffes) as well as fantastical beasts and monsters (such as dragons, griffins, centaurs, and unicorns), at the end of the semester, participants will contribute individual entries to produce their own bestiary compendium.
- Kursleiter/in: Margarita Voulgaropoulou