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A thread of medieval paintings of animals that look nothing like real animals because the artist had never seen them.
Starting with - The Oyster
Starting with - The Oyster
A Crocodile, Unknown Artist, c. 1250-1260
A Hippopotamus, Jacob van Maerlant, c. 1350
A Tiger, Unknown Artist, 12th Century
A Snail, Jacob van Maerlant, c. 1350
A Whale, Unknown Artist, 13th Century
Lions And Bears, Unknown Artist, Early 13th Century
A Crocodile, Edward Topsell, 1658
Elephants, Unknown Artist, Late 13th Century
This elephant with a tornado trunk.
By Jacob van Maerlant from Der Naturen Bloeme
By Jacob van Maerlant from Der Naturen Bloeme
This earless elephant with a castle on its back.
By Guillaume le Clerc from the Bestiary of William the Clerk
By Guillaume le Clerc from the Bestiary of William the Clerk
This beaver with a fish tail.
From Livre des Simples Médecines
From Livre des Simples Médecines
This crocodile with a cougar head.
From the Rochester Bestiary
From the Rochester Bestiary
This leopard that's clearly distraught over his misrepresentation.
From the Aberdeen Bestiary
From the Aberdeen Bestiary
This Owl with a human face
A Beaver, Edward Topsell, 1658
Crocodile, Unknown Artist, Late 13th Century
A Rhinoceros, Caspar Schmalkalden, 17th Century
The result of looking into these paintings has led me to immense admiration of the ‘have a go’ attitude that Jacob van Maerlant must’ve possessed.
*an 
