David Shepherd British, 1931-2017

Cheetah is shown in three-quarter profile, positioned low within dense scrub, its body partially obscured by foliage and grasses. The animal’s head turns towards the viewer, while the spotted coat is articulated against a ground of layered greens and pale ochres. The setting suggests East African bush, with no fixed horizon, creating a shallow spatial field in which vegetation presses forward. Painted during Shepherd’s sustained engagement with African wildlife in the later twentieth century, the work relates to repeated field studies made during conservation-linked travels. The subject reflects Shepherd’s long-standing focus on threatened species encountered directly during expeditions across Kenya and Tanzania.