Reaching Jaguar

Object NameSculpture

Artist / Maker Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington (American, 1876 - 1973)

Foundry Gorham Manufacturing Co. (American (Providence, RI), founded 1831)

Date1906-1907

MediumBronze

Dimensions8 3/4 × 6 3/4 × 3 3/4 in. (22.2 × 17.1 × 9.5 cm)

ClassificationsSculpture

Credit LinePurchased by University Museums with funds from the Joyce Tomlinson Brewer Fund for Art Acquisition. In the permanent collection, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object numberUM2025.71

Status

Not on view

CultureAmerican

EditionThis work is number 11 from the known edition of 251 produced at Gorham Company, Bronze Division, New York.

Label TextThis bronze sculpture shows a jaguar balancing carefully on a rock or tree trunk. The feline’s taut muscles and intense gaze are brimming with kinetic energy. He has spotted his prey and is moments away from attack. “Reaching Jaguar” and its companion piece, “Jaguar”, were based on Huntington’s studies of Señor Lopez, a jaguar from Paraguay who was the first feline occupant of the Lion House at the Bronx Zoo. Stone versions of the pair are installed as gateposts at the zoo. The powerful effect of “Reaching Jaguar” derives from the attenuated, muscular form and the illusion that the stealthy feline is about to pounce from its rocky outlook. The prominent American sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington was well known for her depictions of animals. Operating in an artistic realm that was dominated by men, she was a trailblazer and won awards for her sculpture across the globe. (Source: The Met)

SignedCast signature and number to lower edge with foundry mark.