Rhino and Lioness

Ann Hyatt Huntington sculpted domestic and wild animals with equal skill, and was praised for her ability to capture their unique spirits. Her creatures leap, dance, fight, and play according to their natures. She liked to model them in arrested motion or in precarious stances. For instance, in Bears and Seal, the forward thrust of one bear and the arching back of the other communicates the hunger of the bears and the ferociousness they feel toward each other. Huntington’s Hound has a rough texture that makes him seem menacing and contrasts with the sinuous lines of his posture. He stands unsteadily on a small base---ready to pounce at any moment---and howls at the fierce wind. Huntington positioned the hound’s tail between his legs to signify his mood and to act as a structural support for his narrow forelegs.