Study of a Tiger; verso: Sketch of a Lion c. 19th century

Curator: Edwin Landseer, better known for his sentimental depictions of animals, created this intriguing watercolor, "Study of a Tiger; verso: Sketch of a Lion." Editor: The tiger appears almost domesticated, its eyes closed in serene repose. The animal has been stripped of its primal ferocity. Curator: Landseer was likely influenced by the Victorian era's fascination with exotic animals and the expansion of the British Empire. These animals became symbols of power. Editor: There's a tension between the artist's obvious skill in capturing the tiger's form and the almost dreamlike, unreal quality of the scene. Curator: The paper itself, its fibers and the way the watercolor interacts, speaks to a specific time in artistic production, where nature studies were becoming fashionable. Editor: Ultimately, though, it is an image heavy with symbolic weight, a powerful beast rendered docile, perhaps a commentary on Victorian society's control over the natural world.