Beasts on Parchment: Picturing Animals in Medieval Manuscripts

Animals played an important role not only in the lives of medieval people, but also in their thought. Animals bore the brunt of medieval agricultural practices and they also carried spiritual associations that reflected religious beliefs. The animals that people encountered in their daily lives were supplemented by fantastic beasts that inhabited the realm of the medieval imagination, and which were thought to occupy unknown territory in this world and in the next. The artworks showcased in this exhibition offer the visitor the chance to explore medieval attitudes about animals, and to enjoy the extraordinary creations that pepper the margins and miniatures of The Walters’ outstanding collection of medieval manuscripts.