Kulturowa semantyka motywu zwierząt
Cultural semantics of animals

Summary/Abstract: This article attempts at describing the functions and artistic forms of the motif of animal in arts and literature. The underlying thesis claims that animalness is regarded in cultural works and products as a form of identification of no lesser importance than the mental sphere. It is there that the sources of popularity of animal symbolism in culture ought to be traced back to. For an artist, animal is not merely an iconographic material or expressive symbol, through which creative artists manifest their attitude toward the world. The article systematises the aesthetic functions of animals in literature and visual-arts, formulating the basic categories of associations between art and animal images. Such issues as anthropomorphisation of animals, zoomorphisation of human, symbolisation of this motif, degree of its conventionalisation, or naturalistic approaches are calling for being deciphered/decoded within cultural and artistic bestiaries.

• Details
• Contents