The Nature of the Beast: Medieval Animals in Art
Dr Jonathan Foyle gives talk for The Arts Society Chiswick
A carving of a creature at Wells Cathedral
August 24, 2026
The Arts Society Chiswick returns after its summer break with a journey into the medieval world. On Thursday 17 September, architectural historian, broadcaster and lecturer Dr Jonathan Foyle will give a talk titled The Nature of the Beast: Understanding Fabulous Animals in Medieval Art at POSK in Hammersmith.
The evening promises an exploration of medieval bestiaries — those extraordinary manuscripts where natural observation, myth, moral teaching and artistic invention collide. Audiences will encounter creatures such as the bonnacon, the beaver and the owl, each endowed with strange powers and symbolic meanings. Fantastical animals, once used to teach moral lessons or convey spiritual truths, later migrated into heraldry, shaping the visual language of identity and lineage for centuries to come.
Dr Foyle is well known to television audiences for BBC2’s award-winning Climbing Great Buildings, as well as his contributions to Time Team and Secrets of the Royal Palaces. A specialist in architectural history and building conservation, he brings a storyteller’s clarity and humour to the symbolism embedded in medieval art and craftsmanship. His aim, he says, is to share the “keys to deciphering” what medieval makers were trying to communicate.
Alison Watson, Chair of The Arts Society Chiswick, describes the talk as “a fascinating glimpse into the wonderfully strange world of medieval animals”, and the evening marks a slightly later-than-usual September date to accommodate the Chiswick Book Festival.
Doors open at 7pm, with POSK’s private bar available, and the talk begins at 8pm. Guests are warmly welcome, with entry priced at £15 on the door — redeemable against annual membership for anyone joining on the night.
Membership of the Arts Society Chiswick includes ten expert lectures on the second Thursday of every month (except August and December) and the opportunity to participate in tours, visits, social events and Special Interest Days. Half year Membership available from 1 July. For more information see the society's web site.
The Arts Society Chiswick brings people together through a shared curiosity for the arts, to create opportunities for everyone to be part of a diverse community in which they can enjoy, learn about, participate in, and preserve the Arts and Cultural Heritage.
POSK is at 238-246 King Street, W6 0RF.
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