Animals in Art: The Museo Nazionale in Lucca

We recently visited the Museo Nazionale di Villa Giunigi in Lucca, Tuscany - Hint: You can go for free on the first Sunday of each month, but normally it’s only 4 euro!

The museum is an expansive walk through seemingly endless corridors, displaying artifacts from Roman times to artworks in medieval eras, and then through the Renaissance to the 19th century.

Something we noticed throughout the was how frequently animals - real or mythical - played into the art. Here are a handful of them - sculpted, painted, inlaid in wood, carved into marble - in various contexts. A dragon seems to appear frequently, but unfortunately for him he’s often the victim of angelic violence at the hands of some guy they call Saint Michael. We’re happy to report, though, that most of the rest of the animals seem to be doing okay. (Well, perhaps the Minotaur on the ancient urn is having a bit of a rough day.)

Some of the animals are part of a decorative element, like those on the top of marble columns. Others are particular to the human subject, like the dogs hanging out with a hunter, or the lion fighting with Samson. A couple of puppies are apparently getting some sort of demonstration or instruction from infants. But many are just in the background (or foreground), oblivious bystanders to the historical events happening around them.