Art History Animalia
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arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
Art History Animalia
@arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
4.3K followers 380 following 2.8K posts
Zoologist exploring animal iconography via intersections of natural history with art & visual culture history. AKA Deniz (she/they), PhD student @ UD.
https://linktr.ee/arthistoryanimalia
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arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
#Giraffes 🦒
“Zootopiaries: Nature's Sculptures” at Philadelphia Zoo
# of plants: 7,000 & 10,000
weight: 8,950 lbs & 13,100 lbs
height: 14.5 ft & 21 ft
#ZooArt #Topiary
photo of the topiary display at zoo (outdoors on a Sunday day, brown fence and green trees behind): two giraffes (neck and head, not full body) side by side photo of the sign “Giraffes NUMBER OF PLANTS SMALL: 7,000 TALL: 10,000 WEIGHT SMALL: 8,950 LBS. TALL: 13,100 LBS. HEIGHT SMALL: 14 FT. 6 IN. TALL: 21 FT. Zootopiaries Nature's Sculptures Created in Canada by: Santoline MOSAICULTURE PHILADELPHIA ZOO”
November 25, 2025 at 4:57 AM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
Norman Akers (Osage Nation, b.1958)
Drowning #Elk, 2020
Oil on canvas
On display at Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University “Indigenous Identities: Here, Now & Always” exhibition
#IndigenousArt #NativeAmericanArt #ContemporaryArt
photo of the painting on display at museum, large format unframed canvas “Floating in a blue aquatic scape surrounded by plastic water bottles, the Great Elk calls out. In a desperate plea, he acknowledges a world in crisis: one where water, essential to life, is bottled and sold. This commodification of water, a vital life-giving element, is now complicit in adding to the human-made waste that suffocates our world, which should concern us all." gallery sign: “Norman AKERS Citizen of the Osage Nation (b. 1958) Drowning Elk 2020 Oil on canvas Gochman Family Collection "Floating in a blue aquatic scape surrounded by plastic water bottles, the Great Elk calls out. In a desperate plea, he acknowledges a world in crisis: one where water, essential to life, is bottled and sold. This commodification of water, a vital life-giving element, is now complicit in adding to the human-made waste that suffocates our world, which should concern us all." -N.A. ฿ 308”
November 25, 2025 at 3:02 AM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
Dish with #peafowls and peonies
China, Ming dynasty, Yongle mark & period (1403-24)
Carved red lacquer
On display at Metropolitan Museum of Art (2015.500.1.29)
#ChineseArt #BirdsInArt #Peacock
photo of the red lacquer plate with its gallery label on display at museum “明永樂 雕漆剔紅孔雀牡丹紋盤 Dish with peafowls and peonies Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Yongle mark and period (1403-24) Carved red lacquer The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015(2015.500.1.29) The "two birds" design featuring a pair of birds among flowers was a popular motif in Chinese carved lacquer, particularly from the thirteenth to early fifteenth century. On this dish, artisans carved into the surface to reveal two peafowls flying amid lush, blossoming peonies. This design also became standard in other media, such as textiles and ceramics, produced by the imperial workshop of the early Ming dynasty.”
November 25, 2025 at 2:43 AM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
Resharing for #WorldWalrusDay
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social Art History Animalia @arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social · Feb 19
#TwoForTuesday:
Osuitok Ipeelee (Inuit, 1923 – 2005)
Untitled ( #Walruses ), c. 1977
Steatite, caribou antler; 29.2 x 37.2 x 21.9 cm
Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal inv. 2014.234.1-4 www.mbam.qc.ca/en/works/667...
#IndigenousArt #FirstNationsArt
official museum photo of the object, front profile on grey background: Steatite (soapstone, greenish-brown with darker blackish areas and whitish veins throughout) sculpture of two tusked walruses huddled together, with facial features and flipper details incised
November 25, 2025 at 2:39 AM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
Resharing for #WorldWalrusDay
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social Art History Animalia @arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social · Nov 24
Happy #WorldWalrusDay!
Egevadluq Ragee (Inuit, 1920-1983)
#Walruses at Play, 1964
Stonecut print, 45/50, 21 x 28.5 in
www.mutualart.com/Artwork/WALR...
#IndigenousArt #NativeAmericanArt #FirstNationsArt
monochrome print in landscape orientation, huddle of five black walruses against plain white background
November 24, 2025 at 11:23 PM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
Resharing for #WorldWalrusDay
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social Art History Animalia @arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social · May 14
For #ManuscriptMonday / #MedievalMonday : a #walrus, I guess 😂
Cambridge University Library Kk.4.25 (Didactic miscellany, containing a #bestiary and other texts), f. 89r
cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-KK-0...
miniature painting in a medieval manuscript (bestiary), illustration of a marine beast with tusks, not explicitly named in text but likely meant to be a walrus
November 24, 2025 at 11:23 PM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
Resharing for #WorldWalrusDay
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social Art History Animalia @arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social · Oct 2
#ThreeForThursday :
Pauojoungie Saggiak (Inuit; Iqaluit, NU, b.1959)
Adorned #Walruses
Cape Dorset, 2022
Etching & Aquatint on Arches White paper 61 x 74 cm (24 x 29 in.)
www.dorsetfinearts.com/2022-cape-do...
#InuitArt #FirstNationsArt #IndigenousArt #ContemporaryArt #WomenArtists
illustration of a trio of colorful, patterned walrus heads clustered together on plain white background: red/purple facing left @ top left, green/blue facing right @ top right, yellow/orange facing right @ bottom center
November 24, 2025 at 11:23 PM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
Resharing for #WorldWalrusDay
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social Art History Animalia @arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social · Nov 24
#WorldWalrusDay :
#Walrus, Plate 12 in British Mammals
Vol. 1 by Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935), London, 1920.
Via BHL: www.flickr.com/photos/biodi...
🚨The Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a threatened species, currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List: www.iucnredlist.org/species/1510...
color book plate in portrait orientation set in brown paper frame, natural history art / scientific illustration, three brown walruses in Arctic seascape, one in foreground resting on ice and two in background in water
November 24, 2025 at 11:22 PM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
Resharing for #WorldWalrusDay
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social Art History Animalia @arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social · Jan 12
Levi Qumaluk (Inuit; Nunavik, 1919-1997)
Untitled ( #Walrus ), 1952
Steatite, ivory, 9.4x18.7x19.7cm
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts 1953.Aa.1 www.mbam.qc.ca/en/works/4830/
#IndigenousArt #FirstNationsArt #CanadianArt
Steatite (soapstone) carving in the form of a reclining walrus, with head up looking at viewer; stone is a beautiful green with yellow veins throughout, artist has carved details such as toes, bristles, and nostrils, eyes appear painted, tusks are real ivory
November 24, 2025 at 11:22 PM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
#MonochromeMonday :
Paul Jouve (France, 1878-1973)
Harfang des neiges (Snowy #Owl), 1911
Original lithograph on paper (artist’s proof), 56 x 45 cm
www.pauljouve.com/oeuvres/lith...
#BirdsInArt
monochrome (black ink on off-white paper) lithograph in portrait orientation, illustration of a single snowy owl in full profile facing viewer
November 24, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Reposted by Art History Animalia
thisiscolossal.com
Kate Clements is the artist behind these delicate glass works that explore the nature of fragility.

www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/11/kate...
a detail of a patterned and floral wall artwork by Kate Clements made from kiln-fired glass a patterned and floral wall artwork by Kate Clements made from kiln-fired glass a kiln-fired glass artwork by Kate Clements resembling an insect or abstract shape made with leaves, set against a black background
November 13, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Reposted by Art History Animalia
ideasroadshow.bsky.social
♥️ Absolutely love this delicate & alert ivory gazelle, #Egypt, New Kingdom, ca. 1390–1352 BC, standing on a wooden pedestal with inlaid decoration depicting plants that allude to its semi-desert habitat.

Size: H. 11.6 × W. 9.7 × D. 5 cm
🏛️ Met

🏺 #archaeology 🗃️ #arthistory #art
A delicate ivory gazelle, #Egypt, New Kingdom, ca. 1390–1352 BC, standing on a wooden pedestal with inlaid decoration depicting plants that allude to its semi-desert habitat. Size: H. 11.6 × W. 9.7 × D. 5 cm
November 23, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Reposted by Art History Animalia
alaintruong.bsky.social
Lot 1235. A white-glazed elephant-shaped pillow, Tang dynasty (618-907); 11.5 cm wide, box. Price Realised HKD 152,400 (Estimate HKD 80,000 - HKD 120,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2025.

www.alaintruong.com/2025/11/chin...
November 23, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Reposted by Art History Animalia
romanceofbooks.bsky.social
Mollusks from 'Testacea utriusque Siciliae eorumque historia et anatome' by Giuseppe Saverio Poli. Parmae: Ex regio typographeio, 1791-1827.

I saw this at the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Library of Natural History, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives in Washington DC.

#sciart #naturalhistory
November 17, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Reposted by Art History Animalia
romanceofbooks.bsky.social
Mantis from 'An Epitome of the Natural History of the Insects of India, and the Islands in the Indian Seas' by Edward Donovan. London: Printed for the author by T. Bensley, 1800.

I saw this at Harvard’s Houghton Library.

#naturalhistory #insectart #HoughtonLibrary #insects #rarebooks #sciart
November 23, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by Art History Animalia
chapps.bsky.social
Imagine seeing a Roman building in ancient Wales, the tiled roof lined with antefixes proudly proclaiming the presence of the Legio XX Valeria Victrix with their name and symbol, the wild boar. The Twentieth was among the legions involved with the construction of Hadrian's Wall. 🏺 1/

📸 me
Tall triangular-shaped orangish terracotta antefix with stamped decoration: the letters LEG XX, a running boar, and a tall pole with a shield attached at the top, lances radiating out of the top.
November 20, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Reposted by Art History Animalia
biodiversitypix.bsky.social
🔎 The Naturalist's Pocket Magazine or compleat cabinet of the curiosities and beauties of nature.
London.

[Source]
Historical illustration of a "Golden Crowned Parroquet," a vibrant green parrot with a striking golden-yellow patch on its forehead, red eyes, and a hooked dark beak. The bird has blue and dark green feathers on its wings and long tail feathers with subtle yellow highlights. It is perched on a textured, curved tree branch above a small patch of green grass and foliage. The naturalistic style captures fine feather details and the bird’s firm grip on the branch. The vintage artwork, part of "The Naturalist’s Pocket Magazine," showcases nature’s curiosities through detailed, colorful depiction.
November 23, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Reposted by Art History Animalia
wildlife.nathan.fun
Papillons; Paris, Tolmer[ca. 1925] (source: http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48852985) #nature #illustration #art
Papillons; Paris, Tolmer[ca. 1925] http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48852985�
November 20, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Reposted by Art History Animalia
wildlife.nathan.fun
Edinburgh journal of natural history and of the physical sciences. Edinburgh [etc.]: Published for the proprietor [etc.], 1835-1840. (source: https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33665607) #nature #illustration #art
Edinburgh journal of natural history and of the physical sciences. Edinburgh [etc.]: Published for the proprietor [etc.], 1835-1840. https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33665607�
November 21, 2025 at 3:05 PM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
Now on view at Susquehanna Art Museum:
Mary Curran: Mixed Mythologies
“Curran's Mixed Mythology series explores cultural stories about animals from around the globe.”
Photo thread part 2: ceramics
1. #Foxes Mate for Life, 2016
Earthenware w/ carved graffito surface
#WomenArtists #ContemporaryArt
photo of the circular ceramic plate on display monochrome black & white design “Foxes Mate for Life” Gallery sign: “Mary Curran Foxes Mate for Life, 2016 Earthenware with carved graffito surface Courtesy of the Artist In the plethora of myths about foxes, few describe foxes in a positive light, preferring to show foxes as cunning and secretive. On this bowl, the imagery is fairly straightforward: these lifelong fox mates are fashioning a necklace made of foxglove flowers. According to Norse legend, the bell-shaped flowers were said to ring a spell of protection against hunters. The pair are in the center of the forest, where, in Celtic mythology, foxes are said to be messengers from the otherworld, providing spiritual and physical guidance for travelers through the woods.”
November 23, 2025 at 4:02 AM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
Now on view at Susquehanna Art Museum (Harrisburg, PA):
Mary Curran: Mixed Mythologies
“Curran's Mixed Mythology series explores cultural stories about animals from around the globe.”

1. Death of the Flower Woman, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
(follow thread for more photos)
#WomenArtists #ContemporaryArt
photo of the artwork on display at museum (large unframed canvas in portrait orientation) portrait of a white barn owl flying away from an empty bed with white sheets and flowers strewn about, against black background gallery sign: “Mary Curran Death of the Flower Woman, 2019 Acrylic on canvas Courtesy of the Artist In Celtic folklore, Blodeuedd (also spelled Blodeuwedd) is often cast as a symbol of betrayal and infidelity. She was created from flowers by magicians to be the wife of Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Longing for freedom, she fell in love with Gronw Pebr, and together they plotted to kill her husband. In this work, Curran offers a sympathetic view. Blodeuedd did not ask to be conjured from blossoms as a wife, nor to be neglected by an indifferent husband. With few choices, she sought love elsewhere. Upon this discovery, Blodeuedd was not killed, but cursed to live forever as an owl, a creature of solitude and night.” exhibition sign: “Mixed Mythologies On view October 10, 2025 through January 4, 2026 Mary Curran has been creating and teaching art for over forty years. Her work draws on a deep reverence for the natural world and explores how humans make sense of their surroundings. By blending observation with imagination, she examines the ways myth and memory shape our understanding of life. Curran's Mixed Mythology series explores cultural stories about animals from around the globe. These vivid paintings invite viewers into their narrative space. At their core, the works challenge us to consider the impossibility of myth while recognizing that such stories often arise from real events and natural phenomena. Curran extends these ideas into sgraffito-designed bowls, layering multiple narratives within a single form. By combining different meanings for the same animal, she reminds us that symbols are never fixed. They shift across time, culture, and personal experience. In the DeSoto Family Vault, Curran's Ghost Birds and Chiaroscuro Ground series expand her exploration of transience and memory, inviting reflection on life's fragility and the fleeting beauty of light. Through her work, Curran "invites viewers to see nature not just as it is, but as something imbued with consciousness, mystery, and otherworldly significance."
November 23, 2025 at 3:34 AM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
lake Dombroski (Philadelphia, PA, USA)
Angel 1, Angel 2, Angel 3 (2025)
Collage on canvas x 3
On display at Susquehanna Art Museum “Collage Philadelphia Presents: Tactile Shift” exhibition
#BirdsInArt #ContemporaryArt
Angel 1 collage art on square campus four different pairs of bird wings arranged around a central black & white photo of a human eye, on sky blue background Angel 2 collage art on square campus four different pairs of bird wings arranged around a central black & white photo of a human eye, on red background Angel 3 collage art on square campus four different pairs of bird wings arranged around a central black & white photo of a human eye, on off-white background gallery sign: lake Dombroski Angel 3 2025 collage on canvas "I use collage, assemblage, and painting to explore the power of imagery and material. Drawing from vintage magazines, discarded packaging, and found objects, I build compositions that balance intentional structure with spontaneous experimentation. Each piece starts with instinctive collecting and evolves through layered juxtapositions of image and texture."
November 23, 2025 at 2:50 AM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
More fun finds from today’s visit to Midtown Scholar Bookstore: Victorian era trade cards with #parrots for my #ephemera collection!
#BirdsInArt
photo of five Victorian era trade cards with chromatography art featuring parrots
November 23, 2025 at 2:37 AM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
#Caturday - trying to take a photo of today’s book haul from Midtown Scholar but Ziggy insisted on inspecting them first
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(Artes de Mexico: Serpientes Popular; Albertus Seba Butterlfies; Some Common Australian Birds; Christie’s London Natural History art auctions catalogs, 1998 & 1999
photo of the five books with Ziggy (my far grey and white tabby cat) looking at them another photo of the five books with Ziggy (my far grey and white tabby cat) - yes he’s yawning I guess he thinks my books are boring lol
November 22, 2025 at 11:57 PM
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
Friedrich (Fritz) Stuckenberg (Germany, 1881-1944)
#Pigeons in the Room, c.1919
Oil on canvas 104.5 x 64.5 cm
#BirdsInArt
www.mutualart.com/Artwork/Pige...
Note: Fritz’s works were removed from German museums during the Nazi purges & instead one was shown in the infamous "Degenerate Art” exhibition.
German expressionist painting Portrait of two plump pigeons (one brown and one cream) posed in front of an open window
November 22, 2025 at 2:17 AM