“Is there any more mysterious idea for an artist than the conception of how nature is mirrored in the eyes of an animal? How does a horse see the world, or an eagle, or a doe, or a dog?” Franz Marc
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Artists in general have always had a fascination with nature and its surroundings. Since the beginning of mankind, animals were the first thing men used to paint in caves; now we have come a long way since those days, but animals still persist in artists’ minds. And a way a country has of showing its level of civilization is in the arts and its treatment of animals, as Gandhi once put it: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
Today I present a collection of animal paintings that have made an impact in art. Some are by famous renowned artists, others not so much, but all of them deserve a look especially if you are either an art lover or an animal lover.
There are 20 of them, plus some bonuses. Here they are:
20
Gustave Surand - Roaring tiger (1923)
19
Herbert Thomas Dicksee - The Lone Wolf
18
Diego Velázquez - Head of a Stag (1626-28)
17
Tobias Stranover - Peacock, Peahen and Poultry in a Landscape
16
George Morland - Old horses with a dog in a stable (circa 1791)
15
Gustave Doré -Two Owls (1870)
14
Archibald Thorburn - Moutain Hare
13
Francisco Goya - The Marquesa de Pontejos (circa 1786)
12
Vincent van Gogh - Lying Cow (1883)
11
Briton Rivière - Fidelity (1869)
10
Albrecht Dürer - Bat (1522)
9
Alexandre-François Desportes - Landscape with a Dog and Partridges (1719)
8
Jan van Kessel the Elder - The Mockery of the Owl (second half of 17th century)
7
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge - Poker Game (1894)
6
Jean-Baptiste Deshays - The Monkey Painter (ca. 1745)
5
Leszek Piotrowski - White Lion (2020)
4
Gerrit Dou - Sleeping Dog (1650)
3
Kathryn Mapes Turner - Unbridled (2017)
2
George Stubbs – Whistlejacket (circa 1762)
1
Leonardo da Vinci - Lady with an Ermine (circa 1490)
Bonus animal painting:
Jean-Honoré Fragonard - The Angora Cat (1785)
For a further reference on animal paintings watch this video:
Famous Animal Paintings You Need to Know
This is my second post about paintings, you can check the first one here:
@thereadingman/20-beautiful-paintings-you-need
So, what do you think? Which one of these animal paintings did you like the most? Let us know in the comment section. Please, don't forget to like this post, it's a big help for me to continue uploading content so we can all share. Remember: Art is about sharing.
Until next time.
Take care.
The reading man
