A Lion Attacking a Stag

A Lion Attacking a Stag from 1765 by George Stubbs extends his predator-prey theme to pit the lion against the stag rather than the horse, combining three different animal anatomies—lion, stag, and the implied landscape setting—in a single dramatic composition. The stag, with its antlers, hooves, and cervine musculature, required Stubbs to apply his naturalist methodology to a new mammal, bringing the same precision to deer anatomy that he had developed for horses. The primal drama of predation—the moment of deadly contact between hunter and hunted—allowed Stubbs to explore violent motion and emotional extremity within his naturalist framework. His predator-prey confrontations appealed to collectors who valued both the scientific precision and the emotional charge of these wild subjects. The work is held at the Yale Center for British Art.

Both animals are rendered with anatomical precision, the stag's terror and the lion's aggression captured with scientific accuracy and dramatic force.