A framed Regency drawing of a leopard, the standing beast facing right and realistically drawn, possibly from life, on paper with a partly shaded ground, with its tail curling towards its back leg, apparently unsigned, and framed in its original giltwood frame and having its original glass, backboards and tacks. English, circa 1810.
Image size: 37 x 48 cm (14.5” x 19”)
Condition: Overall good, the drawing is in good condition with some foxing to the paper, the frame is solid with some losses to the inner line of beading, otherwise the piece is in good original condition. We have since added screw-eyes and picture wire.
What makes this drawing so remarkable is that it is drawn from life, at a time when few people would have had access to exotic wild animals. Many examples exist both in painting and sculpture where the artist has only the work of previous artists to work on, notably Albrecht Dürer’s Rhinoceros of 1515.
Overall dimensions:
Height = 42 cm (16.5”)
Width = 54 cm (21.25”)