Representations of animals occur throughout Pablo Picasso's career (1891-1973) but especially during and after his involvement with Surrealism in the 1920s and 30s. This work presents these images by subject, that is, the cat, the goat, the bull, as they might appear in a medieval bestiary or Book of Beasts. Picasso never painted animals with a naturalist's eye, but in keeping with his lifelong preoccupation with essentially human experiences, such as emotions and truths, he often saw the animal kingdom as an opportunity to make visual allegories and parables. This text is written by the curators of the exhibition, A Picasso Bestiary, held in Croydon Museum, London, in 1995.