Whether they are the magical creatures of bedtime stories or the strangely patterned zebras of the savannah, animals have long been a great source of wonder and artistic inspiration. The Gardiner Museum’s newest exhibit, Animal Stories, delves into the curious relationship between man and beast, tracking its evolution through time, as interpreted through European ceramics dating from the sixteenth century to the modern day.
Historical and contemporary works are juxtaposed to showcase the evolution of thought and representation as well as to observe how historical ideas about animals are used in modern works to address contemporary concerns.
Lining the perimeter of the large room, the ceramic artifacts are presented on open tables and in glass vitrines and curios, echoing the historical style of displaying such objects. Completing the illusion of having stepped into a zoology aficionado’s study, the works are displayed against a backdrop of illustrations taken from one of the most important works published in France in the eighteenth century — Buffon’s Histoire Naturelle, Générale et Particulière. “These illustrations are different from what was the norm for animal representations at the time, as here they are set in their natural habitats or in a social context, so that Buffon creates his own stories about where the animal lives, even resulting in some interesting contradictions,” remarked curator Karine Tsoumis.
The first section explores how humans see and interact with the natural world, with particular emphasis on the fondness for hunting, and the effects of environmental degradation on the animals themselves. Pointing out a large boar’s head among a number of other animal-shaped tureens, Tsoumis noted the great attention that is paid to flourish the theatricality of hunting. “When I was looking through our own collections for pieces to display,” exclaimed Tsoumis, “I was actually surprised to see how much hunting was represented throughout!” This fact emphasized the importance that this pastime was once given. The next work depicts a city squirrel in an aggressive stance wielding a blowtorch, making a poignant statement regarding the ways humans have forced animals to adapt to their new concrete surroundings.
The next segment addresses animals as objects of curiosity and wonder, with several artifacts speaking to the burgeoning interest in zoos and menageries of the era. Tsoumis explained that: “From the Renaissance to the late eighteenth century, the established gentility would keep their own collections of living animals and these would be used for artists to study,” providing living models for a few of the works displayed. Among these are representations of Jumbo the elephant, and Clara the rhinoceros, animal celebrities who were toured across Europe by their owners in the late nineteenth century. Placed strategically across from these effigies is a modern work featuring two pandas, demonstrating the continued modern day interest and fascination for exotic creatures — described by Tsoumis as a “continuation of animal portraiture.”
On the other side of the spectrum, the following section addresses the emergence of the domestication of animals — particularly cats and dogs, as well as works by modern day artists with a fascination for a specific kind of animal.
The final two sections are intertwined, showcasing examples of animal-humanism as well as the allure of magical creatures for humans. Tsoumis highlighted the importance of Peter Rabbit, Where the Wild Things Are, Alice in Wonderland, and the Franklin the Turtle series, among others, which contributed to the legacy of fascination for animals, by giving them completely human characteristics. This theme is reflected through many of the other pieces including a trio of rodents dressed as humans and a play on Manet’s famous painting “Olympia,” which substitutes the woman’s head for a dog with a benign smile.
The exhibit ends with contemporary pottery detailing dragons, one of the most ancient examples illustrating the human desire to create something fantastic out of the animals of everyday life. However, if Animal Stories drives home a message, it is this: animals have pervaded almost every aspect of our world, causing humans to shape cultures, histories, and art around them.
