Everyone at some point in their lives has spoken with their dog as though it were an individual. We call them names and groom them, let them reside inside our home, and even give them a bath like we would our own children. As children become aware of watching these behavior patterns and tendencies, they mirror these and then expand upon the same with their creativity and play. Dressing the dog in a cute outfit and going on space-based adventures with your cat are all acceptable for young children. When it comes to the close of the day, when you read an evening story is often accompanied by animals that can be engaged in anything from baking cookies to exploring the new and exotic worlds. The literature of children is a great area for anthropomorphism due to the excitement for adventure with intriguing characters. The anthropomorphism of the past reflects the style of art that adults are drawn to but still maintains the whimsy of childhood, which leaves the door open to further exploration.
Interpretation
Anthropomorphism is the interpretation of something that isn’t personal or human with regard to the characteristics of a person’s personality or human. It has been studied since the time of the believed birth of art when hunters made human-like sculptures with lion heads about 30 years ago. It has progressed into the evolution of complex religions and cultures, including that of the Egyptian pantheon of goddesses and gods, to more contemporary times around the globe, such as people from the Kwakiutl people of the tribe known as Kwakwaka’wakw tribe and their Raven rituals of transformation. From illuminated manuscripts to needlecrafts humanizing animals has been an important factor in the evolution of contemporary society. Author and animator Paul Wells believe that anthropomorphism is ” an interrogative device which must communicate not as a uniform instrument of expression as it is an inclusive and diverse engagement with the possible relations between humankind and animals.
As the world’s civilizations
As the world’s civilizations evolved into distinct societies, the stories and myths that were passed through generations were printed in books. Since the advent of printing presses and bigger editions, publications became more accessible to anyone who was not considered elite. Illustration for children between the Rococo and Baroque period all the way through the 1900s was usually made using etching techniques because it was the most accessible and reproducible medium in the period. Artists such as Johann Elias Ridinger (1697-1767) as well as the more recent Wilhelm von Kaulbach (1804-1875) illustrated scenes from nature as well as portraits of elites as well as the personas we humans assign to animals.
Their plates frequently featured wild animals in idyllic settings or scenes from everyday life. In this time in history, pets and cats were at the beginning stages of contemporary lap animals and were often considered an emblem of wealth and status where the tiny and disfigured were considered fashionable and adorable. As the increasing number of animals were brought into households, humans began to recognize and characterize the animals who resided in their surroundings. The human home is the habitat for animals that are viewed as anthropomorphic creatures, and that’s when the process of evolution starts to accelerate.
History
As the 17th century came to an end, 17th century, art artists began to build their careers, as well as the development of new ways for displaying their work in the eyes of the general public. Artists like Palmer Cox and Beatrix Potter were in the midst of their work at the time of the turn of the century, and the opportunities started to grow through new avenues. The selection of books for children began to reach out to the general public, thanks to the advancements in printing technology, and this meant that more children were able to play with their imaginations. Artists were able to make reference to the classics of literature or discover new avenues as they responded to the environment around them. It is worth noting that as the art world changed between the 16th and 17th centuries, the anthropomorphism levels began to change in distinctive directions. Animals were no longer those that talked or separated into two or four feet.
Family structures form
Animals began to wear clothes that we’re able to be viewed as homes and having complex family structures form. The novel by Palmer Cox’s Grandmother Mouse’s Tale centers around the mouse community that lives in a farmhouse and their nitty-gritty lives, habits, and customs in their quest to escape traps, cooks, and the cat. The tale that the book is called is about an elderly mouse explaining the family’s history to her grandchildren under a cabinet. She explains the fact that their grandfather passed in death after consuming rat poison (fig. 2).
Beatrix Potter developed family dynamics in every one of her popular novels that featured characters such as Squirrel Nutkin and Tom Kitten. The Tale of Peter Rabbit, for instance, tells the story of a little rabbit whose frenzied enthusiasm overcame his fears and common sense and almost got taken away. McGregor, in his wild wandering around the lush gardens. When Peter returns home after having lost his clothes on his fence during a furious run for safety from the basket belonging to McGregor, his well-behaved sisters are served porridge while he is snoozing in his bed. Although both universes have created anthropomorphisms of the animals in question, the world in which they reside is still controlled by humans. The creatures are seeking to survive off the leftovers of the greater human power, and their lives are centered around the risk that comes with the environment to where they live.
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