Study of a Tiger
1835
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1835
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This painting shows a tiger walking in a forest, its body half-hidden in shadow. The artist used strong contrasts of light and dark to make the tiger’s muscles look real. The leaves and bark are painted with quick brushstrokes, almost like the animal is moving. Barye was famous for studying animals like this in Paris. He often visited the zoo to sketch them from life. Look up Barye, Antoine-Louis to see more of his animal studies.
