William Huggins
Lions at Rest, 1872
signed and dated 1872
Coloured chalks and wash on buff paper
11 x 21 in (27.9 x 53.3 cm) (artwork size)
16.93 x 26.57ins (43 x 67.5cm) (framed size)
16.93 x 26.57ins (43 x 67.5cm) (framed size)
Copyright The Artist
£ 8,500.00
William Huggins was an English animal painter and draughtsman born in Liverpool, where he received his early training at the Liverpool Mechanics’ Institution before becoming closely associated with the Liverpool...
William Huggins was an English animal painter and draughtsman born in Liverpool, where he received his early training at the Liverpool Mechanics’ Institution before becoming closely associated with the Liverpool Academy of Arts. From an early age, he distinguished himself through his ability to draw from life, winning prizes as a teenager and exhibiting at the Royal Academy from the early 1840s until 1875. Although he briefly withdrew from the Liverpool Academy during institutional disputes in the 1850s, his reputation as a specialist in animal subjects continued to grow.
Huggins devoted his career almost exclusively to the study of animals: horses, cattle, poultry, and, most notably, exotic species such as lions and tigers. Lacking access to animals in their natural habitats, he relied on sustained observation at the Liverpool Zoological Gardens and at Wombwell’s Travelling Menagerie, where he made careful studies directly from life. His work was frequently compared to that of George Stubbs, whose influence Huggins openly acknowledged, particularly in the anatomical precision and calm authority of his animal forms.
Lions at Rest exemplifies Huggins’s mature approach to the subject. The composition focuses on the physical presence and quiet interaction of the animals rather than narrative or dramatic effect. Executed in coloured chalks and wash, the drawing demonstrates his acute understanding of feline anatomy, texture, and weight, while the restrained setting reflects his characteristic avoidance of elaborate backgrounds. The motif of resting lions recurs throughout Huggins’s oeuvre, underscoring his sustained fascination with the dignity, strength, and repose of exotic animals observed at close range.
Huggins devoted his career almost exclusively to the study of animals: horses, cattle, poultry, and, most notably, exotic species such as lions and tigers. Lacking access to animals in their natural habitats, he relied on sustained observation at the Liverpool Zoological Gardens and at Wombwell’s Travelling Menagerie, where he made careful studies directly from life. His work was frequently compared to that of George Stubbs, whose influence Huggins openly acknowledged, particularly in the anatomical precision and calm authority of his animal forms.
Lions at Rest exemplifies Huggins’s mature approach to the subject. The composition focuses on the physical presence and quiet interaction of the animals rather than narrative or dramatic effect. Executed in coloured chalks and wash, the drawing demonstrates his acute understanding of feline anatomy, texture, and weight, while the restrained setting reflects his characteristic avoidance of elaborate backgrounds. The motif of resting lions recurs throughout Huggins’s oeuvre, underscoring his sustained fascination with the dignity, strength, and repose of exotic animals observed at close range.
