Senegal Lion (1811) by Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-73). “Senegal Lion from Exeter Change in 1811 drawn by Edward Landseer aged nine years” Source: “Studies and Sketches by Sir Edwin Landseer, R.A.” (1875): 323. “Lent by George Gurney, Esq., East Dulwich.” [Click on image to enlarge it.] Formatting and text by George P. Landow. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the Hathi Trust and the University of Michigan and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document, or cite it in a print one.]
Commentary in the Art-Journal
Few persons now living have any recollection, it may be presumed, of the menagerie at Exeter Change, on the site, or thereabouts, where Exeter Hall stands at present. Landseer, when a boy, seems to have resorted thither to sketch some of the wild animals kept there for public exhibition: the “Change” was one of the London sights half a century or more ago, and attracted large numbers of visitors, especially those from the country: travelling menageries were less common in those days than they have since become, and the Zoological Gardens were not then in existence. This ‘Senegal Lion,’—a famous habitant of the old Exeter Change—as drawn by the young artist at the age of nine, reminds one of the famous lions of Trafalgar Square, and is evidently the model on which Landseer formed those bronze monsters, though the position of the limbs differs in the latter. His writing the plural wort “years" with an apostrophe, is evidence that his grammatical education, at least, was not completed when he added the inscription to his drawing. [354]
Bibliography
“Studies and Sketches by Sir Edwin Landseer, R.A.” Art-Journal (1875): 321-24. Hathi Trust version of a copy in the University of Michigan Library. Web. 24 March 2014
Last modified 26 March 2014