“Did you see that?” I ask pointing toward Zebra 1. This isn’t just any artwork. It has a story. It involves zebras in London and a bit of eccentricity.
Let’s step back in time. Think of the 18th century when bringing exotic animals to England was a spectacle. In 1762, Queen Charlotte received a zebra as a wedding gift from South Africa’s governor. The zebra was kept near Buckingham House now Buckingham Palace. People came to see it.
Now, meet George Stubbs. He was an English painter known for his realistic animal paintings. He captured the zebra in a painting called “Zebra”. You can find it at the Yale Center for British Art.
Marisa Bass, a Yale professor, notes the painting shows the zebra isolated. It is in a landscape not its natural home. Stubbs might have shown empathy for the animal.
Fast forward a bit. We encounter Lionel Walter Rothschild. He was the 2nd Baron Rothschild. Unlike his family’s banking focus, Walter loved zoology. He wasn’t meant to be a banker.
By age seven, Walter wanted his own natural history museum. By 21, his collection was huge. In 1892, he got his Zoological Museum. It held thousands of butterflies, birds, and tortoises.
Walter’s passion turned into a show of ego. He tamed zebras to prove a point. He rode around London in a zebra-drawn carriage. It made him popular. He even rode a giant tortoise.
Walter Rothschild may seem strange. But he was like a slapstick comedy king. Sadly, there are no photos.
In 1892, Rothschild’s museum opened. After he died in 1937, his collection went to the British Museum. It was a great gift.
So, Zebra 1 reminds us of Queen Charlotte’s zebra. It makes us think of Stubbs’ painting. It also reminds us of Walter Rothschild’s zebra carriage. It is art with a story. It is a story of zebras, art, and eccentricity in London.