Update!
Bestiary.ca is now up to date, if such a phrase is meaningful for a site that deals only with stuff at least 500 years gone. There is a bit more of everything, but mostly pictures – about 300 new ones, some of them spectacular. The best overview of what pictures are here is to be had by using the Cooliris extension to your favorite browser; you can display all of the pictures on the site by clicking the appropriate button the the Beasts page.
Filed in What's new 4 Comments so far
liz rosetta on 19 Feb 2010 at 10:27 pm #
I was in the Uffizzi Gallery looking at a northern Renaissance painting of a nativity scene, when I noticed a creature peeking out from under a red robe worn by a woman bearing a gift (I’m sure a patron of the artist). I made an etching of the little beastie and been collecting images of this kind ever since. It must be love.
Thank you for this website. I love the artistic inspiration that comes from imagining what these creatures would look like to a 13th century illuminator.
Floris Bennema on 18 Mar 2010 at 4:21 pm #
Hello beastmaster,
I am a Dutch constructing a ‘marine biology timemeline before Linnaeus’. (www.coastsandreefs.net/books/timeline) It is nice to see that Aristotle was quite exact about animals and from Pliny on facts and fiction got interwoven (proper English?) until Renaissance.
I realy like your site about bestairies, its very nice to look around to find out more about these ‘beasts’. On my site some bestiaries are mentioned with the links to their site. Here you can find a link to Der Naturen Bloeme which, I think, is better then you have on your site.
A nice Dutch book to look in is the Visboek by Adriaen Coenen (see Renaissance on my timeline – in the Visboek site choose Bladeren …). In his work he copied studies of modern Renaissance naturalists combined with old stories from bestiaries. A nice example of transition to modern times.
Succes with your site!
Jake on 01 May 2010 at 3:00 am #
Hello, I found your site doing research for a project on the Middle Ages. It is fantastic. When I was 6-7 I was obsessed with all mythical beasts, I’m now 13 but upon discovery of your site, realised I still am. Totally hot. Thank You.
Andy on 17 Oct 2010 at 4:58 pm #
Im currently researching for a dissertation on medieval beasts. This site is a godsend. thanks