Ecorche drawing of the head and upper body of a wild cat
1819
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1819
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
This is a careful drawing of a wild cat’s head and chest. It shows muscles and bones under the skin — an écorché study. The artist wanted to learn how animals really move and look. Landseer studied anatomy with a famous surgeon and also sketched live lions and tigers at a London zoo. He worked hard to get animal bodies right. Look up the technique of cross-hatching next.
