Copy after Rubens's "Wolf and Fox Hunt"

This copy after Rubens's "Wolf and Fox Hunt" (c. 1824-26) was made by the young Edwin Landseer, demonstrating the 19-year-old artist's extraordinary technical precocity. Copying Old Masters was a standard part of academic training, and Landseer's choice of Rubens's violent hunting scene reflects his early interest in animal drama. The exercise helped develop the dynamic animal painting skills that would make him Victorian England's most celebrated artist.

The young Landseer demonstrates remarkable facility in reproducing Rubens's vigorous brushwork and dynamic composition. The animals' forms and the violent action are captured with a confidence remarkable for an artist in his early twenties.