The Artist: For biographical information on Landseer, see the catalogue entry for The Met
2018.289.4.
The Painting: The painting depicts a red deer stag lying on a patch of grass. The head and body of the deer are realized with swift, rich strokes of paint that evoke the varied textures of the animal’s coat, while the lower legs and antlers are deftly drawn in pen and ink and left largely unpainted. An alternative position for the animal’s rump is roughed out above the haunches in pencil and in pen and ink. The stag’s lolling tongue, drooping ears, and the reddish, matted fur on its underbelly indicate that it is fatally wounded.[1] The pathos of its death—the grandeur and beauty of a wild animal reduced to helpless pain and exhaustion—is amplified by its poignant gaze at the viewer.
The picture seems to relate to a group of small oils in varying degrees of finish which depict dead and dying deer, made between about 1825 and 1833. In terms of subject, it most closely resembles the pair
Deer Fallen from a Precipice and
Deer Just Shot. In terms of its state of finish, it is most akin to
A Dead Stag, with Sketched Figures of a Ghillie and Hounds (see figs. 1–2 above). However, the canvas support, the emptiness of the background, and the manner and medium in which the legs and antlers are indicated are unusual for Landseer. Further comparative study of the painting’s technique may clarify its place in the artist’s work.
Alison Hokanson 2021
[1] I am grateful to Jeremy Hurst, Big Game Unit Leader, Division of Fish & Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, for his thoughts into the breed and condition of the stag.
[2] I am grateful to Richard Ormond for his insights into the painting’s technique and attribution.