Fantastical Beasts

The bestiary can be considered to exist as a literary genre from the Middles-Ages on. Indeed, we can find examples in manuscripts dating from that period. These writings summarise the characteristics of each creature, and sometimes the fables and morals associated to them. Consequently, these manuscripts represent our collective profound interest for the classification and analysis of the animal world. But the idea of a bestiary, especially of fantastical beasts, has its origins rooted in times as ancient as the day men began to tell stories about the creatures they saw. Ancient Egyptian spiritual culture, for example, is filled with fantastic creatures such as the sphinx; a hybrid species also present in Greek mythology!

Just as the men of the Paleolithic decorated the walls of the Lascaux cave with the silhouettes of the animals they encountered, the interest in illustrating the animal world, real and imagined, has continued to inspire artists to this day. In the Renaissance, interest in curiosities (exotic or otherwise-particular objects and items) was the catalyst for a number of collections, and studies of flora and fauna. And although the animals were not fantastical per se, they were still imagined beasts - fantasized, even! Indeed, it isn't easy to paint a rhinoceros without having ever seen one, basing one's practice solely on the theatrical accounts of the rare travelers back from Africa…

Today, artists around the world draw inspiration from the mythical creatures of the collective imagination. They regularly invent new conceptions of the animal world, conceptions that push the boundaries of the supernatural. It must be said that a bestiary, especially of fantastical beasts, attracts an audience of all ages. For the little ones, it feeds the imagination. For the adults, depending on the work, it can offer an escape from daily life, a trip back to childhood, or even an invitation to reflection or spiritual thought!

In terms of decor, a work of art inspired by fantastical beasts gives a dreamlike dimension to an interior. In a children's bedroom, for example, it will inspire many dreams, and offer young spirits a window view of imagination that they can contemplate and re-interpret over and over again. In a living room, it will bring a unique and extravagant touch to your walls, and will certainly be the starter of many conversations with your guests.

If you're only just discovering the world of fantastical beasts, you may need some advice… Start, then, with the zodiac scenes of Raymond Peynet. For a more traditional feel and a more tribal aesthetic, may we suggest the paintings of Indian artist Ram Singh Urveti? If it's the majesty of mythology that inspires you, talk a walk through Salvador Dalí's sculptures, and if you would rather go for a lighter genre of animal representation, look no further than Emilie Bouguereau's terrestrial paradise-meets-safari watercolors!

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Painting, Stoulgram, Stoul

Stoul

Painting - 50 x 40 x 1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

$920

Painting, Air Bowl, Lksir

Lksir

Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$981

Sculpture, Relax, Gaël Rouxeville

Gaël Rouxeville

Sculpture - 9 x 31 x 9 cm Sculpture - 3.5 x 12.2 x 3.5 inch

$981

Sculpture, Snake une pivoine, StephD

StephD

Sculpture - 80 x 20 x 4 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 7.9 x 1.6 inch

$797

Painting, Phoenix, Yandy Graffer

Yandy Graffer

Painting - 20 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$613

Print, Astra Guernica, Skepa

Skepa

Print - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$282

Photography, In flight I, Frank Williams

Frank Williams

Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.2 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

$368 $324

Painting, Faustine, Anaïs LF

Anaïs LF

Painting - 61 x 50 cm Painting - 24 x 19.7 inch

$981

Painting, Le griffon grype, AKET

AKET

Painting - 92 x 73 x 4 cm Painting - 36.2 x 28.7 x 1.6 inch

$7,970

Sculpture, Ours 102-23, Philippe Buil

Philippe Buil

Sculpture - 12 x 20 x 10 cm Sculpture - 4.7 x 7.9 x 3.9 inch

$797

Sculpture, Créature N°3, Edith BK

Edith BK

Sculpture - 18 x 13 x 7.5 cm Sculpture - 7.1 x 5.1 x 3 inch

$858

Painting, Levitation, Daria Borisova

Daria Borisova

Painting - 91.5 x 91.5 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36 x 36 x 1 inch

$2,730

Painting, Australie, Baptiste Laurent

Baptiste Laurent

Painting - 122 x 104 x 0.3 cm Painting - 48 x 40.9 x 0.1 inch

$3,617

Painting, Léopard, C215

C215

Painting - 75 x 57 x 1 cm Painting - 29.5 x 22.4 x 0.4 inch

$4,904

Sculpture, Ours Nandi, Philippe Buil

Philippe Buil

Sculpture - 31 x 26 x 27 cm Sculpture - 12.2 x 10.2 x 10.6 inch

$1,900

Painting, Super Skunk, tizlu

tizlu

Painting - 110 x 80 x 5 cm Painting - 43.3 x 31.5 x 2 inch

$7,111

Painting, Des grands airs, AKET

AKET

Painting - 116 x 81 x 3 cm Painting - 45.7 x 31.9 x 1.2 inch

$10,912

Painting, Eléphant, Tarek

Tarek

Painting - 24 x 19 x 2 cm Painting - 9.4 x 7.5 x 0.8 inch

$331

Photography, Magic With, Hugh Turvey

Hugh Turvey

Photography - 65 x 65 cm Photography - 25.6 x 25.6 inch

$884

Sculpture, Fossile, Edith BK

Edith BK

Sculpture - 9 x 16 x 7 cm Sculpture - 3.5 x 6.3 x 2.8 inch

$956

Painting, Ursa Major, Sylvie Cappe

Sylvie Cappe

Painting - 60 x 60 x 1.5 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.6 inch

$711

Painting, Madère, Florence Boré

Florence Boré

Painting - 41 x 21 x 0.3 cm Painting - 16.1 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch

$3,065

Painting, Untitled, Hell'O Collective

Hell'O Collective

Painting - 100 x 70 x 10 cm Painting - 39.4 x 27.6 x 3.9 inch

$4,904 $3,433

Painting, Masque jovial, Tarek

Tarek

Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

$429 $386

Sculpture, Tico-Uno, Patopalomo

Patopalomo

Sculpture - 43 x 52 x 23 cm Sculpture - 16.9 x 20.5 x 9.1 inch

$1,104

Sculpture, Octo-Danse, Virginie DEVIN

Virginie DEVIN

Sculpture - 25 x 21 x 18 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 8.3 x 7.1 inch

$2,943

Painting, Mutation, Brigitte Derbigny

Brigitte Derbigny

Painting - 32 x 24 x 0.2 cm Painting - 12.6 x 9.4 x 0.1 inch

$368

Print, Dish Dog, Clemens Briels

Clemens Briels

Print - 49 x 58 x 0.1 cm Print - 19.3 x 22.8 x 0 inch

$441

Painting, La persane, Catherine Clare

Catherine Clare

Painting - 65 x 50 x 2.5 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 1 inch

$1,471 $1,324

Painting, The King, Sylvie Cappe

Sylvie Cappe

Painting - 65 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$1,079

Sculpture, Untitled, Aurelija Simkute

Aurelija Simkute

Sculpture - 28 x 30 x 17 cm Sculpture - 11 x 11.8 x 6.7 inch

$11,648

Painting, Pink Panther, Mosko

Mosko

Painting - 40 x 38 x 4 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15 x 1.6 inch

$1,042

Sculpture, A Pink Giraffe, PickWick

PickWick

Sculpture - 31 x 11 x 4 cm Sculpture - 12.2 x 4.3 x 1.6 inch

$368

Painting, Chargé I, Patricia Dubois

Patricia Dubois

Painting - 111 x 79 x 3.5 cm Painting - 43.7 x 31.1 x 1.4 inch

$3,098

Painting, Sans issue, Cécile Coutant

Cécile Coutant

Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,361

Sculpture, Yür, Saône De Stalh

Saône De Stalh

Sculpture - 38 x 33 x 12 cm Sculpture - 15 x 13 x 4.7 inch

$1,962

Photography, Sans titre, Stéphane Spach

Stéphane Spach

Photography - 40 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$1,226

Sculpture, Avanzando, Rodo Padilla

Rodo Padilla

Sculpture - 36 x 35 x 20 cm Sculpture - 14.2 x 13.8 x 7.9 inch

$5,150

Sculpture, Asnar, Saône De Stalh

Saône De Stalh

Sculpture - 29 x 41 x 16 cm Sculpture - 11.4 x 16.1 x 6.3 inch

$7,357

Painting, The King, Amogh Katyayan

Amogh Katyayan

Painting - 61 x 61 x 3.8 cm Painting - 24 x 24 x 1.5 inch

$450

Painting, Sans titre, Meteo Meteo

Meteo Meteo

Painting - 21 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Painting - 8.3 x 11.7 x 0 inch

$129

Fine Art Drawings, Sans titre, Meteo Meteo

Meteo Meteo

Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 11.7 x 0 inch

$129

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