Sir Edwin Henry Landseer

Landseer portrays the stag as a noble beast even in its last moments. The stag defiantly tries to fight off the deerhounds, retreating to a fierce stream. The violence of the scene and the turbulent landscape intensify a sense of struggle. Landseer was famous for the emotion and narrative he gave to his subjects. Here he presents hunting as a dramatic contest between humanity and nature. In such pictures of the wild beauty of Scotland, he contributed to a romantic vision of the Highlands.