Sleeping Leopard
George Stubbs·1777
Historical Context
Sleeping Leopard from 1777 by George Stubbs is one of his studies of exotic animals that expanded his repertoire beyond domestic species. Stubbs studied exotic animals at private menageries and traveling exhibitions, bringing the same anatomical rigor to wild animals as to horses. Stubbs's oil technique was grounded in exhaustive anatomical study—he spent eighteen months dissecting horses at a Lincolnshire farmhouse before painting the plates for his Anatomy of the Horse (1766)—producing an...
Technical Analysis
The leopard's spotted coat and relaxed posture are rendered with careful observation, demonstrating Stubbs's ability to depict exotic species with anatomical accuracy.
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