Animal: A Beastly Compendium. Treasures from the prints and photographs department at the Bibliothèque National de France. Edited by Rémy Mathis and Valérie Sueur-Hermel.

This sumptuous book presents a selection of over one hundred stunning artworks, depicting animals real and mythical, from the prints and photography collections of the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

The work opens with a preface from celebrated cultural historian Michel Pastoureau, who considers the symbolic importance of animals to our dreams and imagination. Each image is accompanied by a commentary from one of the BnF’s expert editorial team of curators and archivists, which provides information on the natural and symbolic history of the creature depicted. Featured artworks include such masterpieces as Dürer’s rhinoceros, Manet’s cats, a carp by Hiroshige and Matisse’s swan.

This is a truly beautiful and authoritative collection of some of the most recognisable and accomplished works of animal-themed art, from the medieval period to the present day.