The Art of Advent: Day 19
For the eighteenth day of our Art of Advent calendar, we have a Top 10 all about some lovely animals in art. Gabriella Sotiriou highlights her favourite artworks of animals, some more festive than others! These wonderful depictions of beautiful animals are best enjoyed over a cup of tea and a cuddle with your very own furry friend.
No. 1 The Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1565)
This painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder is a classic winter scene with lots of snow and ice. This is one of a series that depicts the different times of year and there is no doubt that this example makes me feel a chill. The figures undergo the types of activities that would occur around December and January. The men have just returned from a hunt with their dogs - although it doesn’t appear to have gone terrible well judging by their demeanour. The downtrodden attitude of the whippy dark furred dogs tells us all we need to know about the success (or lack of) the hunt here.
This painting by Marc is obviously of some donkeys. However, the animals here are supposed to be representative of the human emotion of sadness. The low hanging heads and washy blue of the animals The similarity of the faces reflects the repetitiveness of human life and conveys daily toils of our society. This sense of sorrow is only made stronger through the donkeys contrasting with the bright green landscape.
No. 3 Morning in a Pine Forest by Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky (1889)
This is a beautifully quiet image of four bears climbing a tree in a forest. Judging by the landscape this takes place during the colder months of the year as the branches appear quite sparse. The bears play with each other and keep themselves entertained with their naturally formed playground. The morning winter light filters through the branches casting the bears in a wonderful light. These winter bears are a lovely example of animals in painting.
No. 4 Diego Velázquez - Head of a Stag, c. 1634
This painting by Baroque artist Velazquez is thought to be a tribute to Spanish King Philip IV and his love for hunting. Velazquez was head artist at the Kings court and this image of a stag is shrouded in a certain amount of mystery. Art Historians have struggled to date it and aren’t entirely sure why it was created. However, the stag is painted masterfully, with a keen eyed awareness of the viewer, establishing the tension between prey and hunter.
No. 5 Edwin Landseer - The Monarch of the Glen, 1851
This is another amazing painting of the stag. Here he stands so we see his full body, allowing us to see the size and strength of his form. This famous painting was part of a commission from Westminster Palace in London for large-scale landscape and animal images. This particular image became massively popular in Britain due to its conveying of the great power of nature and has gone on to be used in many national advertisements.
No. 6 Nativity at Night by Geertgen tot Sint Jans (c 1490)
This painting uses light within its composition fantastically. We see a depiction of the birth of Christ in the stable as Mary peers at her newly born son in the manger. The baby seems to glow on the surface of the canvas as well as the angle Gabriel in the sky above. To contrast the divinity of these characters, the rest of the scene, the mortal earth is painted in a much more murky and dark tone. Hidden amongst the shadows we see a large head of a cow that watches over the new tiny baby Jesus. He makes a calm and constant presence, his large strength making him the perfect animal to keep an eye on the delicate baby.
No. 7 Rubens Adoration of the Magi (1609-1610)
This painting is often considered one of Rubens’ most important works that he made. It shows the three kings offering their gifts to the newly born Christ. The scene is dense and painting with an amazing use of colour and compositional organisation. What is particularly relevant here however, is the featuring of the animals throughout the scene. They almost appear to blend in with the humans in the scene, suggesting that they are an equally important part of the Christmas story. I like the camels in particular, who don’t look very friendly but do convey a sense of the powerful mysterious of an exotic animal.
No. 8 Hugo van der Goes Mary and Joseph on the Way to Bethlehem (1475)
This image shows the wearisome travels of Mary and Joseph as they make their way to an area of safety to birth their son. As Joseph guides the heavily pregnant Mary down a rocky mounting, their faithful donkey follows on behind. Though it seems strange that we see Mary on foot here despite looking exhausted from her pregnancy, the donkey continues to follow on faithfully behind the couple. He is a symbol of perseverance and strength as he carries their belongings on his back down the steep mountain.
No. 9 Christmas Cards, Salvador Dali
This is strange example of an animal in a festive scene. Salvador Dali heavily featured butterflies on his series of card designs for Hallmark Christmas cards. Their bright colours seem to work perfectly amongst his abstracted and bizarre interpretations of Christmas trees. This large black and orange butterfly here takes the place of the typical angel on top of the tree as it spreads its wings, taking on a similar form to the angel normally found there.
No. 10 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Paddle, Jeff Koons
This piece by Jeff Koons captures two festive favourites - Rudolph and games. The reindeer’s head appears here as a paddle board, forming part of the game that involves the player attempting to knock a ball into the plastic cage that forms Rudolph’s nose. This is an example of the playful nature of the festive season and animals themselves. This is a modern interpretation of the animals that form a key part of Christmas tradition.