In medieval Europe, a bestiary—or “book of beasts”—was a popular type of handwritten, illustrated manuscript whose stories and images taught Christian lessons. Animals in the bestiary were associated with particular human traits and behaviors, making abstract moral lessons easier to communicate to a mostly illiterate public. While the books themselves were rare and precious, their thought-provoking tales and vivid imagery were a familiar part of everyday life in the Middle Ages (500–1500 CE). Tapestries, metalwork, jewelry, sculptures, sermons, and popular storytelling all incorporated motifs from the bestiary.

Medieval bestiaries featured real animals alongside imaginary creatures, like unicorns and griffins, to present a holistic view of divine creation. Artists relied on secondhand accounts, written descriptions, and popular legends to depict animals that they had never seen for themselves. As a result, strange hybrids and mythic beasts accompanied realistic portrayals of ordinary animals—blending natural history, misinformation, and metaphor. Bestiaries inspired medieval audiences to observe and collect information about the world around them, setting the stage for a new encyclopedic era focused on gathering and organizing knowledge of the natural world.

Modern Bestiary: Creatures from the Collection explores the artistic legacy of the medieval bestiary through a selection of animals and fantastic beasts from the Museum’s Collection. Building on Anthony Hecht and Aubrey E. Schwartz’ A Bestiary Portfolio (1962), the exhibition examines how contemporary artists across a range of styles and media incorporate real and imagined creatures in their work, drawing on categories rooted in the medieval manuscript tradition.

This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and Robin S. Klaus, PhD, assistant curator.