By: Elena Butuzova, Arts, Design, and Media Studies Adjunct Librarian

Learn about the Medieval Folklore: Bestiaries and Monsters book display on the 6th floor of the Rosenthal Library!

Mermaids, unicorns, lions, cats, griffins, and other types of creatures adorned the books of the Middle Ages—often depicted within the ornamentation of letters or between the paragraphs of a book. The book display focuses on the medieval animal illustrations and attempts to expand the folklore of these creatures beyond the bestiary. The book of beasts (known as the bestiary) focused on animal images within the writing of a manuscript in order to highlight an allegorical message about the world, as well as to attribute physical characteristics to an animal that people in Europe may have not seen before (such as lions). Imaginative animals, such as the dragon, were a common motif in bestiaries; however, it is not clear if the medieval world truly believed in the existence of these creatures. Whether it was an exploration of the human imagination, the belief in a fantastical world, or a symbolic representation of the unknown, the bestiary exemplified the colorful and slightly peculiar qualities of medieval folklore.

                           

List of Books

• Bovey, Alixe. . University of Toronto Press, 2002. (ND3339.5 .B68 2002)
• Clark, Willene B, and Meradith T McMunn. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1989. (PA8275.B4 Z55 1989)
• Phillpotts, Beatrice. . 1st Ballantine books ed. Ballantine Books, 1980. (GR910 .P44 1980)
• Gibson, Walter S. . Praeger Publishers, 1973. (ND653 .B65 G52)
• Strickland, Debra Higgs. . Cambridge University Press, 1995. (PR275 .B47 H37 1995)
• Clark, Willene B. . Boydell, 2006. (PA8275 .B4 C53 2006)
• Benton, Janetta Rebold. . Abbeville Press, 1992. (N7660 .B38 1992)
• Cambridge University Library., and T. H White. . Capricorn books edition. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1961. (B4 E5 1960)
• Clark, Kenneth. . W. Morrow, 1977. (N7660 .C55)
• Zamperini, Alessandra. . Thames & Hudson, 2008. (ND2755 .Z3513 2008)
• Link, Luther. . Harry N. Abrams, 1995. (N8140 .L56 1995)
• Benton, Janetta Rebold, and Katonah Museum of Art. . Katonah Museum of Art, 1994. (N5975 .B467 1994)
• Muchembled, Robert. . Seuil/Chronicle, 2004. (NX652 .D48 M8313 2004)
• Zuffi, Stefano. . Abrams, 2007. (ND1380 .Z84 2007)
• Borst, Arno. . University of Chicago Press, 1992. (CB351 .B5913 1992)
• Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Peter Barnet, and Pete Dandridge. . Yale University Press, 2006. (NK8427 .B37 2006)
• Freeman, Margaret B. . Metropolitan Museum of Art : distributed by Dutton, 1976. (NK3049 .U5 N43 1976)
• Amor, Anne Clark. . Taplinger Pub. Co., 1975. (QL791 .C565 1975)
• Yapp, W. B. . Schocken Books, 1983. (ND3339 .Y36 1982)
• British Museum., and Frances Carey. . British Museum Press, 1999. (5 .A63 1999)
• Morris, Jan. . Thames and Hudson, 1982. (N7660 .M67 1982)
• Lehner, Ernst, and Johanna Lehner. . Dover Publications, 1971. (N8140 .L35)
• Princeton University. Department of Art and Archaeology. Index of Christian Art., and Colum Hourihane. . Edited by Colum Hourihane. Index of Christian Art, Dept. of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University in association with Princeton University Press, 2000. (N8012 .V57 V57 2000)

By: Amanda Lea Perez, Substitute Visual & Performing Arts-Art Librarian

Welcome back, ºì¶¹ÊÓƵ Art Students! 

As the new Art Librarian at the ºì¶¹ÊÓƵ Library for the spring semester, I look forward to assisting you with your art research needs! The Art Collection on the sixth floor of the Benjamin S. Rosenthal building contains printed books, exhibition catalogs, art pamphlets, periodicals, and rare books, as well as digital resources with access to ebooks and art-centric databases. Databases such as provide access to visual reproductions of many works of art, but part of the experience of being an art student requires seeing art in person, which is why we at the QCL have put together an art resource information board on the sixth floor, which highlights upcoming Art exhibitions in New York City. Additionally, we have provided information on how to acquire complimentary admission to New York Institutions.

 

Complimentary Admission

CUNY Arts (with CUNY ID)
provides students with free access to arts and cultural institutions like the , , , , , , and .

Culture Pass (with NYC Public Libraries)
CUNY students can also sign up for a public library card at Brooklyn, Queens, or NYPL, which provides access to museums via . Enter your library card number and four-digit pin, and students can reserve a pass online for a select day to visit museums such as the , , , , , , , , , and the .

ID NYC
Using your identification card allows you a one-year Membership for museums like the , , , and (MoMA).

FREE DAYS
Museums and cultural institutions in NYC also offer complimentary admission days. The , the , the , the , and the are always free! The Metropolitan Museum of Art is Pay What You Wish for New York Students. is Pay What You Wish from 5 to 6 p.m. daily. Several museums throughout NYC offer free admission on Friday evenings, such as the and the .

 

Spring 2024 Art Exhibitions

Bard Graduate Center Gallery (February 23 – July 7, 2024): Work by the 20th-century artist will be on view at the Bard Graduate Center Gallery from February 23 – July 7, 2024.  Admission is free all day on the first Friday of each month. You can read about Sonia Delaunay at ºì¶¹ÊÓƵ in the .

Brooklyn Museum (February 10 – July 7, 2024): The dynamic duo of New York musicians turned art collectors will be exhibiting artwork from their personal collection at the Brooklyn Museum. Works by , , , and will be on view from February 10 – July 7, 2024. Admission is free on the first Saturday of every month from 5–11 pm; free tickets are also available through Culture Pass.

Cooper Hewitt (until August 11, 2024): Cooper Hewitt is exhibiting until August 11, 2024. Es Devlin is a contemporary visual artist and stage designer who crosses the boundaries into a variety of art mediums, including immersive projection-mapped sculptures. Es Devlin’s first is available at ºì¶¹ÊÓƵ Library, thanks to the generous donation through the Professor Libby Tannenbaum Memorial Endowed Fund for Art Library Acquisitions.

Metropolitan Museum of Art (February 25 – July 28, 2024):  After the closure of and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, spring will open with several exhibitions such as (February 25 – July 28, 2024), and (March 5 – June 16, 2024)—the Metropolitan Museum of Art is always Pay-What-You-Wish for New York students.

Museum of Modern Art (March 31 – July 20, 2024): Work by the artist will be on display at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) from March 31 to July 20, 2024. Books about Kollwitz can be found in the . CUNY students receive free admission to MoMA.

New Museum (until March 3, 2024): Contemporary artist Judy Chicago’s retrospective is on view at the New Museum until March 3, 2024. The Art Collection contains many books about . Discounted tickets are available to CUNY students; free tickets are available on Culture Pass.

Noguchi Museum (March 20 – July 28, 2024): A retrospective by the artist will be displayed from March 20, 2024 – July 28, 2024, at the Noguchi Museum. Admission to the museum is free on the .

MoMA PS1 (April 4  – September 2, 2024): The retrospective by the artist is on view at MoMA PS1 from April 4 – September 2, 2024. will also be on view until September 2, 2024. Thanks to the generous donation through the Professor Libby Tannenbaum Memorial Endowed Fund for Art Library Acquisitions, new monographs from and have been added to the Art Collection. CUNY students receive free admission to MoMA PS1.

Ukrainian Museum (until April 7, 2024): Folkart by the Ukrainian artist is on view at the Ukrainian Museum until April 7, 2024. Free admission to the Ukrainian Museum is available on Culture Pass. The is available in the sixth-floor Art Collection.

 

Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library Art Collection wishes ºì¶¹ÊÓƵ art students an inspiring spring semester; if you have any questions or need assistance while you navigate the Art World, stop by room 603.