Description
20 x 28 1/2;Offset Paper;Edition Size 950;$275 U.S.;21×30; Canvas Collection;Edition Size 350;$495 U.S.
“People inexperienced in natural history have never heard about the existence of a Chinese leopard. Just as the cougar has several subspecies because its range is so large — from North America to Patagonia, the tip of South America — the leopard or panther has several subspecies, too. From Africa to Asia, the habitat of the leopard was spread all over. But because of special life conditions — climate, habitat — the color of this magnificent cat can go from very light to a deep orange-beige. The leopard that once lived in large numbers in China and other parts of Asia is now only found in a few wild areas in that big country and in small numbers.
The decline again is due to the declining habitat and to his beautiful fur, which makes him the victim of many illegal fur traders. Obviously darker than its African cousin, the Chinese leopard has all the same other features and behavior as all leopards.
In this painting, I kept the background somewhat out-of-focus to concentrate exclusively on the wonderful cat face. It is sad to think that so beautiful an animal will one day no longer be found in the wild. The title is taken from an old Scandinavian fairy tale about a mythical place that could only be reached if one were to travel to a remote destination east of the sun and west of the moon. The day will come when, unfortunately, even if you were to travel to the farthest corners of the earth, you will not find the Chinese leopard roaming free in the Far East. This beautiful creature will be found only in zoos and seen in photos or in paintings such as this.”
— Carl Brenders
