Kingdom Animalia: Animals in Print from Dürer to Picasso

Furry, fierce, majestic, or sublime, animals have been featured in the graphic arts since the advent of printmaking. Mammals, fish, reptiles, and birds act as rich allegorical symbols, precise scientific specimens, and vehicles for pure formal expression. Drawn from the Museum’s collection, this exhibition offers a 500-year sampling of the wide-ranging depiction of the kingdom Animalia in prints, drawings, and posters, from the playful to the ferocious. Artists as diverse as Albrecht Dürer, John James Audubon, Eugène Delacroix, and Pablo Picasso are joined by regional favorites Beth Van Hoesen and Gordon Gilkey, among others, in this lively exploration of artful animals.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website

Image: Beth Van Hoesen (American, 1926-2010), Bobcat, 1984, color aquatint, etching, and drypoint with roulette, hand colored with watercolor on textured white wove paper, Gift of the E. Mark Adams and Beth Van Hoesen Adams Trust, © Beth Van Hoesen