All Creatures Great and Small: Animals in Art
Animals appear in every form of art. These fellow inhabitants of the planet provide for man's physical needs, fulfill many of his psychological yearnings, and are often thought of as acting and reacting as humans do. Animals, as seen and understood by many different people at many different times, are the subject of this selection of objects from the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art. They come from a variety of cultures and historical periods.
Throughout the ages man has feared, worshiped, been amused by, depended on, despised, and loved animals. As gods and symbols of power, as beasts of burden or meat for the table, and even as pets, animals have inspired the design and decoration of objects used in ceremonies and in everyday life. Sometimes an artist simply wanted to express his pleasure in the way a certain animal looked or moved or behaved. From prehistory to present times, visual artists have celebrated the beauty, power, playfulness, and terrifying aspects of animals-real and imaginary.
This portion of the museum's Web site is designed to introduce teachers and students to animals in the Cleveland Museum of Art, to the works of art they inspired, and to some of the facts and legends that surround this menagerie.