The Surrealist Menagerie

Join renowned zoologist and surrealist artist Desmond Morris as he explores the many ways that animals prowl, fly, and slither through surrealist art. From Leonora Carrington's hyenas to Salvador Dalí's chimeras, Leonor Fini's cats to Félix Labisse's molluscs, nonhuman creatures became enduring points of fascination for many surrealist artists--recurring motifs through which they explored new ideas about psychology, transformation, and the marvelous. Taking each creature in turn, Morris plots an uncanny and entertaining expedition through the animal kingdom as reinterpreted by the likes of Max Ernst, René Magritte, Dorothea Tanning, and Remedios Varo. Combining the trained eye of a scientist with his unique insider's perspective, he provides extraordinary insight into the symbolism behind some of modern art's wildest works.More than just a bestiary of the bizarre, The Surrealist Menagerie is a lively and witty celebration of one of the twentieth century's most revolutionary movements--a must-read for lovers of surrealism, zoology, and natural history.