Art Essay Example: Exotic Animals and Their Impacts to Visual Arts

States have used exotic animals, empires nations, kingdoms as diplomatic gifts among the Islamic East and the Christian in the West during the 15th and 18th century. The spirit of gifting was brought about by the conquest of nature on art, and it testified the endurance that man had to the living creatures regardless of the "strong medieval orientation towards the life of the spirit." The animal gifts strengthened the Christian morals as it transformed the relationship that was there with ancient Christians and promoted Islamic civilization in western Europe as it created ties between these nations. The animals that were given as gifts most commonly were giraffes, elephants, tigers, lions, and camels. For example, the tiger usually received bestiaries because it was described to be mesmerized by its image in a mirror when the hunter was making off with its curbs. The lions for instance in the kingdoms symbolized loyalty and strength among kings, and it was a sign of power. For instance, Charles D. Cutler states that " The city of Florence kept lions as early as 1290, and the French nobility owned lions in Paris, as is evident from the portrayal of three of them surrounding the figure of winged enthroned Fortune that crowns the Hostel de Fortune by the Cite des dames master. In emulation of Paris, one feels, the city of Ghent kept lions in the fifteenth century." Therefore, it was a sign of loyalty by kings and emperors.

The lion and giraffe have been commonly exchanged during the medieval period by the rulers of those times. The giraffe is a primary exotic animal that was used between the two denominations in the exchange of animals mostly in Egypt to England by Emperors and sultan. For instance, according to Charles, " In Germany, a lion was recorded in 1408 at the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order's seat at Marienburg. Venice was the standard port of debarkation for lions from Asia and Africa before the Portuguese explorations of the latter continent, and it too had its lions, the symbol of the city's patron saint, Mark." The lion has been used in the art to show how it was a sign of city's patron saint. During the year 1408, the lions were exchanged between Asia and Africa before the Portuguese had carried out explorations. Also, elephants were imported into Europe before the 15th century. For instance, Emperor Fredrick II once ordered an elephant from India in which he paraded the elephant at Cremona. Also, in 1237 Louis came back with an elephant after his crusade. According to Charles," The Malatestas in Rimini had an elephant in their possession, as did King Rene of Anjou, who also kept, civet cats, dromedaries, Indian goats, and monkeys. His elephant was a gift from Alfonso V of Portugal in 1477." Additionally, a lion and an elephant had been featured in the popular feast of Philip the Good, the "Vow of the Pheasant" of February 1454. It shows the visual art of how the elephant and a lion had been valued during the 15th Century and 16th century, and it was mainly associated with those who were in power such as kings and the emperors.

The giraffe was an exotic animal that was mainly exchanged between the Christians in the West and the Muslims. In many occasions, the giraffe has featured in most instances. For example, Byzantine emperor Constantine Xl got a gift of an elephant and a giraffe from the Egypt's Sultan. Also, Emperor Frederick II exchanged a bear with giraffe from the sultan of Egypt. It shows thematic invention of the art whereby it shows the contribution in the relationship that was brought along with the exchange of these exotic animals. It sometimes resulted in the spread of religion among the different regions, and also the kings and emperors were also able to learn the culture from the other region.

Exotic animals have captured the historical events through visual arts and therefore reminds an individual through drawing how that drawing came into existence. For instance, the appearance of the giraffe well illustrated in the in Bernhard Breydenbach's Peregrine nations in Terram Sanctam that is printed at Mainz in 1486. It gives a picture of how Noah was loading the animals into the Ark. For the individual who was there during that time, it gives them a flashback of how things were from a look of the paintings. When you look at that painting it makes you imagine how it was at that time. Therefore, the works of art make an individual image or flashback to the specific painting illustrated. It hence leads to the curiosity of an individual.

In conclusion, exotic animals have greatly influenced and impacted the visual arts through the drawing of the exchange of the animals in the 15th and 16th century between the Muslims and Christians. It fostered friendship and brought in diversity as it explained in the visual arts that were drawn to remind us where the generation came from.

Bibliography

Cuttler, Charles D. "Exotics in Post-Medieval European Art: Giraffes and Centaurs." Artibus et Historiae (1991): 1-179