Tiger Devouring his Prey

Evert Louis van Muyden

The Atherton Curtis catalog raisonne entry for this etching reads: "Tiger devouring his prey. 120m.X.160m. Turned partly to the right with head facing the front. The background represents a hill rising to the top of the plate on the left. The sky is seen to the right above the hill. Below, to the left, E. van Muyden, 1st state. — Before the signature. 2d state. — With the signature. Another hill extending to the top of the plate on the right is added back of the first hill."

This impression is from the rare first state, before the signature was added to the plate and the second hill was added.

In a small format van Muyden is able to project the power of this tiger by dominating the foreground of the plate with its crouching body. The tiger blends into the background, its stripes diffusing a solid shape.