The Stag at Bay
The Famous , the Downright Legendary Sujet
Landseer R.A., Sir Edwin (1802 London 1873). The Stag at Bay. Imperial stag of 14 points with wonderful mane in the shallow water at the lakeside. One of the hounds beaten back lying on his back, the other barking from secure distance. At the right rocky lakeside with trees, on the left and in the background the calm Scottish Loch in the Highland stretching to the horizon below dark clouds. Chalk lithograph after Sir Edwin in reverse for S. Lipschitz, Hamburg + London. Ca. 1865. Inscribed: Verlag von S. Lipschitz. Ellernthorsbrücke 11. Hamburg / London, published by S. Lipschitz. 84. Brushfield St. Bishopsgate, otherwise as above. 45 x 55.8 cm.
The Sovereign
Or how to deal with Attackers
as
one of the most wanted highland Landseers
on light uncut cardboard of fine wide margins (52.9 x 68 cm sheet size). – A small tear in the right paper margin backed acid-freely, equally a small tear in the white lower margin. On the back traces of previous framing.
Sir Edwin’s, son of the engraver John Landseer, career began at the age of 13 when the Royal Academy, whose presidency he later rejected, arranged the first exhibition. From the 16-year-old Sir George Beaumont, leading connoisseur of the time, purchased the Fighting Dogs getting wind. And already the 24-year-old was selected member of the Royal Academy.
“ (H)enceforth found abundant patrons
for his portraits of dogs , deer , wild animals … .”
1826 first voyage to Scotland where he also portrayed Sir Walter Scott, highly esteemed by Goethe, with his hounds, followed by further ones, especially to stalk the stag,
“ but was regarded with amazement by the Highland ghillies
when he threw down his gun and started drawing an approaching stag ”.
His success, crowned by the admiration by the great Victoria, found its outward expression in the acceptance of the ennoblement in 1850. It was based on
“ anatomical observation , combined with the skilful rendering of hair and fur ,
saves his animal paintings from mere sentimentality ”.
Accordingly Sir Walter Scott noted in his diary “Landseer’s dogs were the most magnificent things I ever saw – leaping , bounding and grinning on the canvas”.
All this reflected by the lithograph here with its finest chiaroscuro. The pendant, his Chieftain in Danger, sold here in the early ’90s.
His leaving of this world took place by state funeral in St. Paul’s Cathedral, the lions on Trafalgar Square sculpted by him were covered in black.
Quotes after Judy Egerton, British Sporting and Animal Paintings / The Paul Mellon Collection, 1978, p. 324, in reference of Scott’s quote by recourse on Judy Hague, Landseer and his World, the exhibition catalogue of the Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield, 1972, p. 5).
Offer no. 14,495 / EUR 808. / export price EUR 768. (c. US$ 1045.) + shipping
„ Ganz herzlichen Dank für Ihre netten Wünsche und die sehr interessante Lektüre (Wild + Hund 23/2008), über die ich mich sehr gefreut habe. Mein Glückwunsch zu diesem schönen Artikel über Ihr Ridinger Wirken und die damit verbundene und verdiente Anerkennung. An meiner ‚Ridinger – Sammlung‘ erfreue ich mich stets aufs Neue. Schon deshalb war die Anschaffung des Pompadour Bandes (1998) ein guter Kauf … Mit besten Grüßen, Ihr … “
(Herr O. v. L., 5. Januar 2009)