Leopard attacking an Antelope

About this work

A leopard lunges at an antelope, teeth bared, while the antelope twists away in panic. Dust kicks up around their hooves. The scene is frozen in mid-air, muscles tense. Howitt painted this in India, where he traveled as a sportsman and artist. He sketched animals from life, then worked up the scenes in watercolor back in his studio. The paper’s faint yellowing shows how old it is—over 200 years. If you like this, look up *sfumato*—a soft-blending technique that makes fur and shadows look real, even in watercolor.