A Young CROCODILE drawn from the Life in LONDON, October. 1739.

1739

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Dominant colour

A Young CROCODILE drawn from the Life in LONDON, October. 1739. is a 1739 by Lampriere, C., a Baroque work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Lampriere, C.
When & what style?: 1739 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This print shows a giant crocodile half in water, half on land, with its mouth wide open. Behind it, a ship sails on a calm sea, and a small town sits on a hill in the distance. The sky is light, with a few clouds, and a tree leans over the crocodile’s head. The title says this crocodile was drawn from life in London in 1739—though it’s hard to imagine one swimming in the Thames! The artist, Lampriere, used simple lines and shading to make the scene dramatic. If you like this odd mix of animals and landscapes, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum for more prints like this.

The story of this work

Overview

A colored print from 1739 depicts a young crocodile in profile facing left, positioned against a coastal backdrop of cliffs and a fortified stone building on the left and three figures on the right. Two large sailing ships are visible on the sea behind the scene. The image was likely included in Thomas Astley and John Green’s *A new General Collection of Voyages and Travels*, published around 1745–47.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

Lampriere, C.

London in 1739 needed to see a croc or gator like this. C. Lampriere drew two lifelike prints that month: *A Young ALLIGATOR drawn from the Life in LONDON* and its twin *A Young CROCODILE drawn from the Life in LONDON*.…

See the richer artist page