Essay 1 Monsters And Demons In Medieval Art

Monsters and Demons in Medieval Art
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name/Number
Instructor’s Name
Due Date
Monsters and Demons in Medieval Art
How would you describe the use of monsters and demons in medieval and late medieval Western arts?
Hellish demons, men with dogs’ heads, hairy wild women, and creatures with giant hands and feet can all be found in the illustrated pages of medieval and late medieval Western art. The use of monsters and demons in medieval and late medieval Western art was intentional. The depiction of non-normative figures such as the physically or mentally impaired was demonized. Jews and Muslims, who were viewed as sinful by Christians in medieval times, were made monstrous with graceless bodies as well as animalistic and monstrous features. Monstrous and demonic imagery was also used in medieval art when drawing caricatures of disadvantaged groups. This was to indicate that disadvantaged groups were viewed as less than human.
The use of strange bestialities in medieval art served as a warning sign. The depiction of man as half man, half beast, could have been to show that humans have a dual nature. The portrayal of certain groups as having dangerous oddities could have been to indicate that they are unlike the rest. If certain individuals or groups did not conform to what society deemed normal, the result would be a devilish and vicious caricature. In sum, medieval art incorporated the use of monsters and devils to morph those who were considered “different” into beasts.
What do monsters and demons express and how?
In her article, Allison Meier gives an example of a French “Moralized Bible” in which four roundels show Jewish people wearing pointed hats, standing behind seven-headed beasts and a false prophet. The Jews are being pushed into hell (2018). Such demonic and monstrous depictions of Jews express that they were viewed as religious outcasts. This portrayal affirms their status as outcasts as well as Christian persecutors.
Ariella Budick asserts that medieval artists used exaggeration and grotesquerie to represent opposite extremes (2018). According to Budick, monsters and demons are used to express what we know, hate, and venerate; what we do not know but flinch at; and the fears within ourselves (Budick, 2018). Medieval artists used hellish imagery to portray how a kind of being was viewed. Some pieces of medieval art show women as naked, clawed creatures. This could signify that women were viewed as beings that can devour one’s physical body.
Medieval artists caricatured and demonized artwork to show some perspective of the world. This includes terror as well as curiosity for those individuals who did not conform to what was regarded as normal (Meier, 2018). Concisely, monsters and demons in medieval art express the painter’s anxiety over the conduct of other humans. As such, they are depicted as supernormal and horrific creatures because that is how they appear in the painter’s eyes. Medieval demons and monsters provide a historical view of how humans shape...