Comments on: Tracking down a style of painting.

Question: Tracking down a style of painting.

kristin — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:01:22 -0800

Animal head, human body: what is this style of painting called?

Often done in oils, had a huge surge of popularity a long time ago, these paintings are very realistic looking human scenes (people in court robes, playing croquet, etc), but instead of having human heads, they have animal heads. I know this style of art has a name - I am looking for it, or barring that, names of artists that painted in this style.

A very modern example can be found here - this is a photoshop job, but the look is sort of the same. What is this style of portrait called?

By: luciaisdada

lucia__is__dada — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:11:00 -0800

You mean like the dogs playing poker ones?

By: kristin

kristin — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:34:45 -0800

Yes, but not schlocky. No offense, if you are a big DPP collector! I know this was a popular style for a bit in the late 18th century - I saw a group of them at a house tour, and in the history of the tour it came up that this was a huge fad in art for a little period of time. I am looking for the name of that fad, or artists who painted in that way, previous to the DPP series.

By: MaddyRex

MaddyRex — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:35:30 -0800

"Theriocephaly" is the technical term. Photographic versions of what you're talking about was made pretty famous by William Wegman; his work is specifically cynocephalic (dog-headed). I don't think these words are used too often though, so I'm not sure how useful they'll be.

I think "Chimera Ironic" is a better term, but I just came up with that now... it sort of also sounds like a typeface.

By: Redhush

Redhush — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:41:14 -0800

Like Hieronemous Bosch? I thought he did it best

By: bru

bru — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:37:58 -0800

Zoomorphism.

By: zoomorphic

zoomorphic — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 15:06:39 -0800

Bru, you really really stole my thunder on this one.