The Leopards

Frans Snyders 1579 - 1657

Summary

The modelling of these leopards suggests that they were drawn from studies, rather than from life. The landscape of rocks and vegetation, and the bunch of grapes with its fine bloom, are beautifully and confidently painted. The grapes have a fine bloom and contour, suggesting the hand of an expert in the genre. The great Flemish still life and animal painter Frans Snyders often included fruit in his pictures of dead game - they were destined for the same table, they were both symbols of wealth and prosperity, and they represented different painterly challenges. A native of Antwerp, Snyders trained with Pieter Brueghel I and became a master at the Guild of St Luke in 1602. He collaborated closely with Rubens, whose work powerfully influenced the composition of Snyders' pictures in particular. His paintings of wild animals are often full of movement and violence, but these leopards in their lair are watchful and dignified. Despite the awkwardness in the drawing of the recumbent leopard as it turns toward its mate and in the stance of the sitting animal, there is a naturalistic connection between them, especially in their touching tails, and an awareness of their surroundings. The animals' exceptionally long tails enhance their exoticism. This may be an early work, predating Snyders' association with Rubens.