The world of fantasy art has long been inspired by creatures drawn from myth and folklore. Passed down throughout the millennia in a number of cultures around the world and in a broad variety of guises, some represent our darkest fears, others our greatest desires. From cautionary tales to quests for the divine, they resonate with something deep down inside of us all that is capable of evoking abject terror as easily as a childlike state of wonder. Contemporary artists have learned to draw on these inherited tropes to create some of the most astounding beings, magnificent creatures and horrific monsters ever assembled.