Head of a Tiger

Marie Odette Scalliet has pointed out that drawings by Raden Saleh are extremely rare, and this one specially important because 'not a single drawing from Raden Saleh’s Parisian years is known..' She adds ‘Christie’s drawing fits in any case in the series of tigers held in Amsterdam, Leipzig, and also Kupferstich-Kabinett Dresden (signed and dated London July 1847). Raden Saleh made an excursion to London from Paris in the summer 1847 (with no written account of Raden Saleh’s travel the two London dated drawings are therefore especially precious). No doubt whatsoever concerning the place and date inscribed on the drawing: R[aden] S[aleh] was in Paris in October 1847.’ (private communication, 4 March 2016).

In 1847 Raden Saleh was at the height of his fame in Paris, where he had been living since January 1845. His impressive Deer Hunt on the Island of Java, or Beater mounted on a Buffalo, was shown at the Salon in March and caused a sensation; praised by several art critics, it was purchased by King Louis Philippe.