Mediye Acar
Animals in Art History
Art Exhibition Statement
I present you the Animals in Art History exibition. As the name suggest i will try to give examples of
artworks with animals and explain their purpose of being in the art works. Some of these animals are just
side element in a painting while some of them are the main subjects. All in all, i choose the theme as
animals for this exhibition.
There are works of multiple artists who depicted animals in this exhibition. Animals symbolize various
things and each artist have a different approach. This exhibition includes 11 paintings with dogs, cats,
rabbits, goldfinch birds, monkeys, ermins, snakes and butterflies.
Animals, especially pets have a huge impact on our lives. It can be emotinal or sometimes, even many
times, practical. As a human-made phenomenon, art is also influenced by the animals and the emotions
that they deploy. With this exibition i want to show the viewers that there is an immaculate power
animals hold beyond their meaning in art. And i believe it helps us to feel the connection between art
and the real world which is tied by animals.Before getting into the paintings, I hope you feel interested
and pulled in as i am troughout this exhebition.
2
Jan van Eyck, Untitled (The
Arnolfini Portrait), 1434
In this painting, the dog represents loyalty.
Since it was widely assumed that this was a
wedding portrait, it was fitting to include a
dog to symbolize the couple's loyalty to
one another and the sacredness of their
union.
3
Tiziano Vecellio, Last
Supper, c. 1542–44
In order to represent Judas' betrayal of Jesus,
Titian paired the disciple with a dog in this
scene from the Last Supper, drawing on a
medieval depiction of the dog as devious.
4
Two Children Teasing a Cat,
Annibale Carracci, c. 1588-90
The meanings behind cats' poses might vary from
thrilling exploits to peaceful familial enjoyments.
Cats are perceived as unpredictable and able to
transform their presence from delight to malice at
any time as a result of this combination of
evocation. Cats may also be used to symbolize
feminine promiscuity according to the feline
connotation of passion. Cats were viewed as
symbols of both passion and treachery in early
Christian art.
5
Goya, Manuel Osorio Manrique
de Zuñiga, 1787-88
Cats are occasionally used in place of the death source,
hunting small birds and other animals as an expression
on the uncertainty of life and mortality. Their
predatory instincts, however, may also be the focal
point of an astounding narrative situation portraying a
dangerous hunt or dig into a fishbowl, wreaking
temporary chaos in a home environment, and giving
the painting a feeling of movement. In situations like
this, cats may symbolize the caveating of a primitive
instinct beyond rationality.
6
Goya, Manuel Osorio Manrique
de Zuñiga, 1787-88
Francisco de Goya pairs this interpretation
with the Baroque association between caged
birds and innocence in this painting.
7
Raphael, Madonna of the
Goldfinch, 1505-06
The scene in Raphael's painting depicts John the
Baptist showing Jesus a finch as a prophecy of
his impending crucifixion. In Christian art, birds
were often intended to represent the soul.
8
Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, Portrait of a
Lady with a Rabbit, ca. 1508
Because of its long-standing reputation for
fertility, the rabbit served as a simple
representation for passion.
9
Titian, Madonna with
Rabbit, c. 1530
The presence of a rabbit at the feet of the Virgin
Mary was seen as a victory over urges for sexual
gratification. However, a misconception that rabbits
could reproduce without a mate gave rise to a
different interpretation in which the animal was seen
as a broad representation of chastity and the virgin
birth.
10
Albrecht Dürer, Young
Hare, 1502
Considering that Dürer most likely drew the
creature from a stuffed model, its liveliness and
vitality are a tribute to his artistic talent.
11
Simon de Vos, Die Heimkehr des
verlorenen Sohnes, 1641
Monkeys were first associated with the devil by
Christians in the early Middle Ages, but this
very negative association ultimately changed.
These creatures occasionally represented
humans in medieval and Renaissance art.
12
William Segar, The Ermine
Portrait, 1585
According to legend, if the animal's immaculate
coat was soiled, it would instantly die, making it
a leading representation of purity and
occasionally justice. The ermine, appropriately,
is depicted prominently in this portrait of
Elizabeth I of England, the "Virgin Queen."
13
a Still Life Painting, Otto
Marseus van Schrieck, 1670
Snakes were considered to be symbols of good
health in antiquity, and the Asclepius rod, which
is represented by the caduceus, is still used to
symbolize medicine. Some interpretations of
biblical tales suggest that the snake represents
age, knowledge, and direction.
14
a Still Life Painting, Otto
Marseus van Schrieck, 1670
Insects having a distinct life cycle, like a
caterpillar that transforms into a butterfly, have
an obvious relationship to the three phases of
life: youth, maturity, and old age.
15
Mediye Acar
Thank you
S034374
IDE 108 Online Exhibition