About
Aberdeen Bestiary is a 12th-century illuminated manuscript, renowned for its rich illustrations and detailed depictions of animals, both real and mythical. It serves as a compendium of knowledge and moral lessons, reflecting the medieval understanding of the natural world and its symbolic meanings. The manuscript is housed in the Aberdeen University Library and is considered a masterpiece of medieval art.
Observations
Across all four renders, densely packed animals, foliage, borders, and interlaced ornament are arranged in highly structured panels and circular medallions. The style uses crisp fine outlining, flat-to-gently modeled color, saturated reds, blues, greens, and ochres, and an illuminated-manuscript-like decorative treatment with fantastical bestiary imagery.
