Portrayal of animals in sculpture

Cavemen were the first ones to depict various animals, painting walls, carving bones and wood, followed by rituals and occult tendency. Those depictions were simplyfied, thou naturalistic. First works discovered, were made about 20 000 years ago in paleolithic. Different works of this age represent animals, painted or carved on cave walls. In later periods animal forms start to change. They gain on details and symbolysm. Symbols start to combine with mythology. Tales, travelogues and naturalist works influenced depictions, especially in ancient times. \nLater on, in middle ages, beasts, birds, seamonsters and fictional beings overflowed all fields of fine arts, starting from architecture decorations to sculpting, wall, window, panel paintings and text illuminations. There are numerous different iconographic explanations, including decoration all to the genre scenes or various symbolic implications, which are interpretable through context in which animals are included. When the animals represent attribute of gods, demigods or mythologycal heroes, there is certainty about their meaning. Antique tradition starts to combine with growing christianity giving animals new symbolyc contents. New allegorical depictions use moralistic explanations, giving animals as exemplar or a warning to the believers. Medieval symbolysm is very convoluted, bearing different, even opposing meanings. \nEarly modern period brings a new style, animal depictions become naturalistic, because of the new interest in science, but symbolycs and personifications remain. Depictions become very precise, realistic and full of details. Artist tries to transfer natural reality into materials. \nDepictions were highly changeable thrugh history but artists in modern era start to imitate prehistoric arts and arts of primeval cultures. Naturalistic depictions become simplyfied again, animals represent philosophic enigmas. In a single century a concept of sculpture changed more drastically than a millennium before. Chrisis of identity became a basis for sculpturing principles. This infinite road led to volumes, spaces, objects, concepts and back again. Artist started to play with different materials and their combinations. Transfering from outer shell to inner structure is typical. \nIn this diploma paper I am researching development of animal depictions through history. Changing depictions is constantly combining with plentiful symbolysm, from cavemen magic and magical ceremonies, to enlightening narrativity of animal personifications or attributes. Repsct for nature can be spotted through all of the arts history. A man shows it through shape, pursuant depictions, sensitive portrayal of details and characteristics and through composition containing an animal. \nstyle, symbolysm and content are changing, but nevertheless the depicted animal is appreciated through all the ages of arts history, whether it's frightening warning of danger in a shape of a snake, acclaiming love depicting pigeons, despising immorality portraying goats, showing loyalty of a dog or gloryfying power, energy, pride and dignity of a lion's or horse's muscular body. \n