A stag at bay, threatened by a deerhound in front of him and another hound (injured?) guarding the rear. Engraving by T. Landseer, 1868, after E.H. Landseer.

  • Landseer, Edwin, Sir, 1802-1873.
Date:
Dec.r 1st 1868
Reference:
2907933i
  • Pictures

About this work

Description

""The forest" depicts the progress of a stag hunt from its stealthy initiation to its bloody conclusion. Due to the commissioning of the works from various engravers the prints appeared out of sequence. However when they are viewed in logical sequence the orginality and radical nature of Landseer's "Forest" is readily apparent. The end products of the hunt are depicted in "The venison house" (1845) and "Precious trophies" (1857). The remaining prints of this series represent animal life or man in his preparation for the hunt. For Landseer "The forest" represented a radical departure from his earlier anthropomorphic works. What Landseer's "Forest" represents only too clearly is the cruelty of man's relationship with the natural world. This series sold well and indeed, many of the works were subsequently reissued. Why was the depiction of such carnage acceptable to the largely middle class market ? ... It was the fear of pain that Landseer's "Forest" touched and played upon for, at one instant, the observer could empathise with the beast while distancing himself from man the beast."--Pringle, op. cit., pp. 232-235

Publication/Creation

London (6 Pall Mall) : Henry Graves & Co., Dec.r 1st 1868.

Physical description

1 print : engraving, with etching, en chine ; platemark 41 x 57 cm

Lettering

At bay. "Bah is keeping the bay well! Poor Shulach! she's aye our rash! But we'll carry her home in the plaid, and she'll do yet!"

Edition

[State without statement of artists].

Creator/production credits

The attribution to Thomas Landseer comes from the Royal Collection online catalogue

References note

Trevor Robert Pringle, Prophet of the Highlands: Sir Edwin Landseer and the Scottish Highland image, PhD thesis, Loughborough University, 1988

Reference

Wellcome Collection 2907933i

Notes

In a series of prints known as "The forest". ""The forest" derives from a series of 20 chalk drawings specially undertaken by Landseer for engraving. Begun in 1845 and completed in 1861, Landseer himself commissioned and watched over the production of the prints, something he had not previously done. Engraving was undertaken by three engravers, Thomas Landseer (14), Charles G. Lewis (4) and John Outrim (2). The prints were initially released over the period 1852-1868 with some works being subsequently reissued in 1881 as part of a library edition of Landseer's works. Selling at one guinea each these prints were bought by the very same people who supported the R.S.P.C.A., the middle classes and the aspiring labour aristocracy."--Pringle, op. cit. pp. 232-233

Type/Technique

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