The Borderland of Bestiarium and Humanitarium in Reference to Jan Liebstein’s Illustrations in Animal Farm

Abstract

The article titled “The borderland of bestiarium and humanitarium inreference to Jan Liebstein's illustrations in 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell” discusses selected depictions belonging to the cycle in the aspect of protagonists' formal affinity to Lebstein's bestiary, and mutual completing of the image and meaning of word.In his works, Lebstein often referred to the motif of hybrid beings, which blended features of different genres. Such beasts appeared in oil paintings, and both drawings and political caricatures,revealinga range of anti-communist views of the painter.The first part of the article is devoted to works belonging to these cycles. Subsequently, illustrations drawn for Orwel's piece are presented. Discussed problems pertain to Lebstein's manner of approaching history of society, individual's lots and the situation of enslavement by the totalitarian rule.The consecutive issue concerns the relation between the historic question of genre anduniversalism of the message in the book by means of the language of images. Particular attention was paid to creations of protagonists merging human and animal features and therefore eluding straightforward categorization. The last part of the article briefly juxtaposes depictions with functions of book illustrations.