Who painted A Bellowing Stag?

A Bellowing Stag was painted by Edwin, Sir Landseer in 1845.

Where can I see A Bellowing Stag?

A Bellowing Stag is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is A Bellowing Stag?

A Bellowing Stag is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

A Bellowing Stag

Edwin, Sir Landseer , 1845

A Bellowing Stag is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Edwin, Sir Landseer. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1845, “A Bellowing Stag” is a drawing by Sir Edwin Landseer executed in pen and brown ink laid over graphite on wove paper. The composition is dominated by a single stag whose open mouth and sharply rendered antlers fill the sheet, conveying a moment of intense vocalization.

Subject & Meaning

The work captures a stag in the act of bellowing, a display of raw animal power. The exaggerated mouth and taut neck muscles emphasize the creature’s forceful call, suggesting themes of wilderness, vitality, and the untamed aspects of nature that Landseer often explored in his animal studies.

Technique & Style

Landseer employed quick, scratchy pen strokes to delineate the stag’s musculature, while the underlying graphite provides a subtle tonal foundation. The contrast between the dark ink lines and the light paper surface creates a vivid sense of movement, and the sharp rendering of antlers demonstrates his precise draftsmanship within a relatively simple medium.

History & Provenance

The drawing originates from Landseer’s mid‑career period in England, when he was already renowned for his animal paintings. Though specific ownership records are limited, the piece reflects the artist’s practice of producing detailed studies in ink and graphite alongside his larger oil works, illustrating his versatility across media.