The Place of the Tiger in Art

The tiger holds a central place in art, both in Asia and in the West. In China, Korea and Japan it is a zodiac sign, a guardian and almost a divine figure, painted on walls and carved into temple statues. In Europe it became a symbol of ferocity in Baroque painting from the early 17th century, then a favorite of Delacroix, Rousseau and Franz Marc. Since the silent era it has appeared on film, and today it is everywhere in decor, tattoos and fashion. Here is what the tiger means in art and how artists have shown it.

What the tiger stands for in art

The tiger is known first for its strength and power. In Asia it is called the king of animals, and the character for "king" is even said to appear in the stripes on its forehead. Yet in art it carries far more than strength. It inspires admiration and fear at once, some cultures have revered it, and each tradition has given it a slightly different role. Four of those roles come up again and again.

A sign of the Chinese zodiac

In China the tiger is the third sign of the zodiac. Its fixed element is wood, and it is usually associated with yang, the active principle. Tradition links it with courage and justice, and it has been honored since ancient times.

The animal is a favorite subject of Chinese painting. The village of Wanggongzhuang, in Henan province, is famous for its painted tigers, which cover walls along the streets. Its painters are well known on the art market, and the village has a reputation as the first village in China for painting tigers.

A fierce animal

In both East and West, the tiger has long been painted as one of the most ferocious animals alive. The Romans already showed it in mosaics. In Europe, the most famous expression of that fear is The Tiger Hunt by Peter Paul Rubens, painted around 1616, where a tiger, a lion and a leopard fight hunters on horseback. Rubens plays on contrasts between warm and cold colors and between animals and men, and the result is a whirl of claws, spears and muscle that still feels violent four centuries later.

A guardian close to the divine

The tiger is a powerful, almost divine figure in China and Japan, and in Korea too. Korea was once called the "Land of Tigers," and the animal appears in the founding myth of Tangun. Koreans have honored it for centuries in funerary art, statues and paintings.

Korean folk painting has a gentle twist: rather than roaring, its tigers often wear a cheerful, almost comic grin. Many see in that smile the optimism and humor of Korean folk culture.

A feng shui protector

The tiger is one of the foremost figures of Taoist feng shui. Objects bearing its image, such as tiger statues or paintings, are believed to keep negative energy away and to help people live in harmony with their surroundings. In this tradition the White Tiger guards the west and is placed on the right side, and it is linked with metal, while wood remains the element of the tiger as a zodiac sign. You can read more on the tiger in feng shui, but in short, it is believed to make a good guardian for the home.

The tiger in Western painting, from Rubens to Franz Marc

Western art has shown the tiger since antiquity, but Rubens's Tiger Hunt, painted during the Baroque period, is among the most famous works. In the 19th century Eugene Delacroix returned to the animal again and again, in paintings and lithographs. His tigers range from calm scenes, such as A Young Tiger Playing with Its Mother (1830), to violent ones, such as Wild Horse Felled by a Tiger (1828) and Tiger Hunt (1854).

Henri Rousseau later became known for his dreamlike jungles filled with animals, the tiger among them. Charles Lapicque painted tigers from life at the zoo, especially the one at Vincennes. And Franz Marc, a leading figure of German expressionism, painted a tiger built from bold geometric shapes and color. If you would like to see more of these works side by side, our top 10 tiger paintings gathers some of the best known.

Tigers on screen

Cinema picked up the tiger early, and it has appeared on film since the silent era. Western cinema alone counts more than thirty films featuring a tiger, and productions from India and the rest of Asia add many more. One of the best known in recent years is Life of Pi (2012), in which a teenage boy shares a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. For a longer list, see our complete list of tiger movies.

Tigers in decor, tattoos and fashion

Decorative art

Tigers have decorated homes and temples for centuries, even millennia. Since ancient times the animal has been cast and carved in wood, copper, bronze and many other materials, and tiger figures still adorn temples throughout Asia. Feng shui, which honors the tiger, is one reason the habit has lasted. The tiger also shows up on Japanese incense burners, a decorative object typical of that culture.

Today the same instinct fills living rooms. Our tiger decor collection gathers paintings, tapestries, rugs, lamps, cushions and statues, and for a design that goes straight onto the wall without a frame, tiger wall stickers draw the animal, many of them in bold black silhouettes and fine lines.

Tattoos

Tattoo art has made the tiger one of its classic subjects. Designs run from a simple portrait of the animal to flaming motifs and compositions with a butterfly, a wolf or a lion. They are popular among tattoo lovers and often stand for strength, power and unpredictability. On any skin, the meaning depends on the wearer and on the person looking, which is why the meanings of tiger tattoos are almost endless.

Fashion and jewelry

From decorative objects the tiger made its way into fashion, and large brands use it to give their collections a strong identity. You will find it on t-shirts, sweaters and sweatshirts, and as an ornament on belt buckles, shoes and leather jackets, where it adds a bold, offbeat touch.

Jewelry has embraced the animal just as warmly in recent years. A tiger ring can signal poise, confidence or a little charisma, depending on how it is worn.

An inspiration that keeps going

The tiger has held a strong symbolic place in art around the world for centuries, and it shows no sign of leaving paintings, films, sculptures or tattoos. From Rubens and the Baroque to Korean folk painting and contemporary design, artists keep finding new ways to show its strength, its beauty and sometimes its humor.

If you would like a piece of that tradition at home, we have selected tiger paintings and canvases in many styles. Click the image below to see them.