By examining the world of animal representations, the exhibition explores how imagery has been used to bring newly discovered animals into the public eye. From the earliest days of exploration, visual depictions in artworks, books, the media and even toys have been essential in representing exotic creatures that are alien to people at home.
Strange Creatures centres upon George Stubbs’ painting of a kangaroo, which was created following Captain Cook’s first Pacific ‘Voyage of Discovery’. It is Europe’s first painting of an Australian animal and became the archetype for how people imagined this iconic species for decades. This painting was recently saved for the nation after it was initially sold to an overseas buyer. This resulted in a government export bar before Royal Museums Greenwich raised the funds to keep it in the UK. This exhibition represents a chance to see the artwork among other animal depictions from the time of their earliest European encounters.
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