1821
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Ecorche drawing of a dog's leg is a 1821 by Edwin Landseer, a Romanticism work, depicting Anatomy, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This is a detailed drawing of a dog’s leg, stripped down to bones and muscles. It’s not a live animal—it’s an écorché study, meant to show anatomy like a map under the skin. Landseer trained under famous surgeon Sir Charles Bell. He also studied live animals at a London menagerie to make his drawings accurate. Check out more of Landseer’s animal works at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
This écorché drawing by Edwin Henry Landseer depicts a dog's leg with exposed musculature and skeletal structure. Created between 1817 and 1821, it is one of eight anatomical studies of animals in the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection. The work reflects Landseer's early training in animal anatomy, informed by scientific study and direct observation of live and dissected specimens. The drawing was part of Landseer's estate sold in 1874 before entering a private collection and later being acquired by the museum in 2010.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Sir Edwin Henry Landseer was an English painter and sculptor, well known for his paintings of animals – particularly horses, dogs, and stags. His best-known work is the lion sculptures at the base of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square.
See the richer artist page
