Horses, dogs and deer display a wealth of emotions typically attributed to humans in the sentimental paintings of British artist Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (1802 – 1873). A child prodigy, he first exhibited at the Royal Academy when he was only 13. By meticulously studying the bodies of dead animals, he developed a command of anatomy that was unsurpassed in his era. He made numerous forays to the Scottish Highlands, where he drew inspiration for his magnificent stag paintings. Widely admired for his work by both the aristocracy and the middle class, Landseer was elected to the Royal Academy in 1831 and knighted in 1850.

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