Animals seen inside and outside galleries
Recent London exhibitions have displayed past images of many art works which have not necessarily been previously exhibited there. In the last few months animals in paintings, sketches or sculptures were often presented.
A cat alongside other animals in Noah’s ark
Many of the images in the National Gallery’s display from March until late June displayed works from Siena in the 1300s. Much representation was of religious material but items which do present animals or perhaps I’m just searching for them. Looking at an manuscript item of Equity and felony, leaf from Laurent d’Orleans, La Somme le foi c.1290 – 5 appeared an aspect of Noah’s ark from Genesis in the Old Testament.Here stood a cat alongside animals not necessarily seeing just humans but animals from other groups.
Turkish tapestry and cats
This was not unique since a rug, attributed to Turkey, was also hung again showing a cat, as well as sculptures presenting lions under Mary’s chair by Giovanni di Agostino The virgin and child with Saints Catherine and John the Baptist c.1340 -50.
Two lions under the chair
But there are other images of animals outside certain buildings – if we are looking for them.For instance in a side turning, off Leicester Square, is a listed building, The Church of Notre Dame de France,(a Roman Catholic church) previously extant since the late C18th but rebuilt by architect Hector O.Corfiato in the 1950s. Inside are frescoes by Jean Cocteau, but outside on two pillars is a series of eight scenes from the life of Mary, carved by students from the École des Beaux-Arts – accompanied by various animals .
Animals & a bird outside Notre Dame de France church near Leicester Square – with more animals in the seven other scenes
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