A modern version of an ancient literary form dating to medieval times, A Bestiary is a collaboration between American novelist and poet Bradford Morrow (born 1951) and eighteen leading contemporary artists, who each produced two original prints for the book. Among the artists who contributed to the project are Gregory Amenoff, Joe Andoe, James Brown, Vija Celmins, Louisa Chase, Eric Fischl, Mel Kendrick, Ellen Phelan, Joel Shapiro, Kiki Smith, Richard Tuttle, and Robin Winters.
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In contrast to traditional bestiaries, which typically feature a series of allegories or moralizing tales based on the physical or behavioral traits of real or imaginary animals, Morrow's updated version doesn't offer the reader moral lessons, but instead carefully elaborates the defining characteristics of the various animals. Each entry is accompanied by an original illustration that portrays the animal described.
