The animals in the image above are elephants. They were drawn sometime around the 13th or 14th century in a medieval bestiary, a type of book that described animals large and small, real and fantastic. But to a modern eye, the line between the real and the imagined is…
Source: Why Did Medieval Artists Give Elephants Trunks That Look Like Trumpets? | Atlas Obscura
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The article explains it well. Although they knew what an elephant looked like in most cases, they chose to exaggerate some aspects of the animal for ‘artistic purposes’. Perhaps in the same way as large apes were believed to be fierce, and often shown as having sharp teeth and claws.
Best wishes, Pete. x
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Let’s hear it for artistic licence!
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Me too! x
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Sort of looks more like an anteater, eh? Or is that just me?
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It’s not just you – I also think it makes them look like anteaters, now that you’ve said it!
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Phew – good to know my eyesight has failed me completely (yet)! 🙂
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Fascinating article, Sarah.
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I’m glad you thought so too.
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So interesting, Sarah. I love the old drawings. Creative liberties, but beautiful. I’m so glad some of them survived the centuries.
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Absolutely.
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Thought it very interesting too. I can definitely see them coming up with some of the drawings by description only. If the ones that actually saw them still drew them so bizarre Were they trying to say what people think they were saying or what. Most curious.
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I think it was simply artistic licence. Look at Picasso’s way with a body!
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These are gorgeous illustrations – and the essay was interesting, too. You know, I have never wondered why elephants were depicted that way in drawings from that era. But now I know, and just watch me work this into my next cocktail party conversation!
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And just when were you going to invite me to yours, dah-ling? 🙂
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Haha! I shall invite you to our next one!
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Regarding the title…perhaps even then Republicans were the loudest elephants in the room?
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Ha!
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Looks like a cross between a wolf, an elephant and a trumpet! Wonder if this is what they thought elephants looked like or if they were just really rubbish at drawing (like me!)
Zoe
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Apparently, some earlier artists got it right and later ones didn’t. It appears they were often making choices relating to where they were included i.e. the bestiaries which were more about connecting animals to religion. You’d have to read the whole article to learn more. There don’t seem to be any hard and fast conclusions.
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