Renaissance Period (1400-1600)
Conrad Gesner’s Histoia animalium. 4 vols. 1551-1558.
- Included synonymy of each species, geographical variation, life history, fables, folklore, adages, proverbs, and emblems.
- The fables, folklore, adages, and proverbs summarize what the animal symbolize in human culture.
- Emblems consist of an image, preferably obscure motto, and an explanatory epigrammatic poem.
- Purpose of an emblem was to convey a clever truth, and emblems were very popular during the 16th century.