A thread of medieval paintings of animals that look nothing like real animals because the artist had never seen them.
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

This earless elephant with a castle on its back.
By Guillaume le Clerc from the Bestiary of William the Clerk

This beaver with a fish tail.
From Livre des Simples Médecines

This crocodile with a cougar head.
From the Rochester Bestiary

This leopard that's clearly distraught over his misrepresentation.
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