Art & Anthropomorphism

Of Greek origin, the term anthropomorphism is composed of the words "human being" and "form". In simple terms, anthropomorphism occurs when the characteristics of human beings are attributed to objects or creatures that are not human, such as gods, animals, phenomena or even ideas.

Anthropomorphism is already found in Egyptian art where natural phenomena, the cosmos, places as well as abstract concepts were early depicted as human-looking deities. The style continues to appeal to artists throughout the ages. For example, the master of surrealism, Salvador Dali, depicts in "The Anthropomorphic Cabinet" a woman whose chest is composed of open drawers, a symbolic representation of memory. 

Anthropomorphism is also used in literature and in the visual arts. Indeed, writers, such as Lewis Carroll and the rabbit of Alice in Wonderland or Jean de la Fontaine and his fables, are fond of it. In cinema and animation films, Walt Disney, who transforms into a living being any object of our daily life and humanizes the pet or wild animal, is an outstanding anthropomorphist. 

Our friends the animals are the favorite subject of anthropomorphs, whose purpose is generally to express a vision or a characteristic of the human race or society. Loved or feared, animal species have always fascinated man.  They remind us that our behavior is not so far from that of our fellow chimpanzees and that, strangely, some animals are sometimes much more human than we are. Man has always played on these similarities to express, in another way, his deepest instincts.  

But what about contemporary painters and photographers? Artsper has selected for you some works that will make you look at your dog with a different eye!