Engravings of Lions, Tigers, Panthers and Leopards

No. V

This group of playful Leopards, after Rubens, must be supposed to belong to the jocund train of Bacchus, since they are luxuriating at their ease, among grapes and vine branches. These Leopards are doubtless intended to have a degree of playful expression—induced perhaps by the exhilarating juice of the grape: and we should “guess” (as Jonathan says) that this group was studied from a litter of half-grown kittens. Few, however, except the sailors who were accustomed to gambol with the Tiger-cub on board the Pitt East-Indiaman, would like to venture to frolic with them.