Animal Renaissance Wall Art

Animal images have been metaphors in art since olden times. During the Renaissance period, artists used animals to illustrate their own religious and mythological stories, often using older symbolism but changing their earlier meanings. One single animal, such as an ermine, could represent different, often contradictory, meanings.

 Famous Examples of Animals in Renaissance Art

The Ermine's Purity

The ermine has symbolized purity and chastity since ancient times. The enduring belief was that this small mammal would rather die than dirty its white coat.

 In Leonardo da Vinci’s “Lady with an Ermine,” the subject is Cecilia Galleriano, the mistress of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan and Leonardo’s patron. The portrait is an allegory on this relationship, rather than chastity, as Cecilia had already borne Ludovico a son.

Young Hare

The study of a wild hare by Durer is surely one most popular animal renaissance paintings. For many people who like and admire it, it may be the first of Durer’s masterpieces that they ever encounter, or the first time they connect a work with his name.

 Shop our collection of renaissance art prints and decorate your home with some of history’s most famous paintings featuring animals.