Discover a rich collection of Vintage Tiger Illustrations and Drawings, capturing the regal beauty and ferocity of the jungle’s monarch. Explore timeless art that brings to life the elegance and power of tigers through history.
All the free tiger prints are in the Public Domain.
Unveiling the Stripes: Intriguing Tiger Facts to Complement the Art
Tigers are an Asian mammal that once roamed from as far west as Turkey, across Asia, to Eastern China. Today, the tiger’s range has been reduced by 90% and is fragmented, stretching from Siberian temperate forests to subtropical and tropical forests on the Indian subcontinent and Sumatra.
I grew up in Hong Kong and I remember hearing about reported sightings of tigers in the New Territories, as late as the 1970s. But I have never seen a tiger in the wild, only in zoos.
Wild tigers are an endangered species and in the 2015 the population was estimated to be between 3-4 thousand.
In a 2004 online poll conducted by cable television channel Animal Planet, involving more than 50,000 viewers from 73 countries, the tiger was voted the world’s favorite animal with 21% of the vote, narrowly beating the dog.
Tigers have featured prominently in ancient mythology, culture, and folklore. The animal appears on many flags, coats of arms, and is a mascot for many organizations and sporting teams. It is especially important in Chinese culture, where the tiger is one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.
Fun Facts About Tigers
- Tigers are the largest of all cats. They can measure up to 11ft in length, including the tail, and weigh up to 670lbs.
- In the wild tigers live for about 25 years
- Unlike other cats, tigers love the water and will swim and play in it.
- Also unlike other cats, tigers can’t purr.
- A group of tigers is called an ambush or streak.
- There are six distinctive tigers based on their location: Bengal, Indochinese, Malayan, Siberian, South China, and Sumatran. The Bengal tiger is the most common.
- The stripe pattern on each tiger is unique, like the spots on a giraffe and human fingerprints.
The Vintage Tiger Drawings and Illustrations
Embark on a thrilling journey through time and art with our exquisite Vintage Tiger Illustrations and Drawings collection. The tiger, revered as the majestic ruler of the jungle, has captured the imagination of artists for centuries. With their striking stripes, fierce gaze, and regal stance, tigers embody both beauty and strength.
This curated collection of vintage illustrations and drawings showcases the tiger in all its glory, as seen through the lenses of time-honoured artistic techniques.
To download the vintage tiger drawing you want, click on the title above the image. A higher-resolution image will open as a new window in your browser. If you right-click on the image with your mouse, the menu option will appear to save the tiger illustration to your hard drive.
Vintage Tiger Illustrations 1-8
This lovely black and white tiger drawing is from the book “Museum of foreign animals; or History of beasts. : With splendid engravings” by Babcock, Sidney.
This and the next tiger illustration are 19th-century tiger watercolours from the Museum of Metropolitan Art.
3. Tiger Approaching Pool Watercolor
Tiger Family, late 1800s. Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Hanging scroll; ink and colour on paper from The Cleveland Museum of Art.
In deep mountains where old pine trees grow, a tigress, her two cubs, and a leopard welcome the rising sun. This is not merely a playful scene of felines but rather a well-calculated image with auspicious symbols of longevity (pine trees), prosperity (tigress with her cubs), and good fortune (leopard).
Traditionally on New Year’s Eve, the image of a fearsome-looking tiger, along with that of a dragon, was pasted on entrance doors to ward off evil spirits. However, paired with cubs and magpies, tigers came to be portrayed more playfully and humorously, fitting for festive occasions. The crimson rising sun suggests that this scroll may have been created to celebrate the new year.
5. Artist Study of A Tiger Drawing
Study of a Tiger drawing, 1832. Antoine-Louis Barye (French, 1796-1875), another print from the Cleveland Museum
Tiger in the Jungle, 1893. Paul Elie Ranson (French, 1862-1909) from The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Tiger in the Jungle is Ranson’s most famous lithograph. Printed in black, grey, and yellow, it appeared in the journal L’Estampe Originale (The Original Print) in 1893. Ranson used smooth, wavelike forms to create a vibrant, decorative, and stylized composition.
This tiger image looks like it is printed on a cigarette card.
The following two tiger drawings are from “The Edinburgh journal of natural history and of the physical sciences, with the Animal kingdom of the Baron Cuvier” 1835.
Vintage Tiger Paintings 9-16
10. Natural History Of Quadrupeds 1811
This illustration is from the book “The Natural History of Quadrupeds and Cetaceous Animals.”
11. Engravings of Sir Edwin Landseer
12. Black & White Tiger Drawings
Illustration from the book “The wonders of the animal kingdom” Robert, Hurish,1830.
(This image was used for the DIY tea light lanterns craft)
This illustration is from the book “Lions, Tigers and Cats” by William Jardine 1846.
Illustration from “Johnson’s Household Book of Nature” by John Karst 1880.
The Royal Bengal tiger is a subspecies of tiger that is native to the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the biggest wild cats and is the national animal of both India and Bangladesh. It is considered to belong to the world’s charismatic megafauna. In 2011 there were thought to be less than 2500 of them left in the wild.
From the Iconographia Zoologica collection at the University of Amsterdam.
Vintage Tiger Drawings 17 – 26
Two tiger face drawings from ” Fairland’s juvenile artist, or, Easy studies for beginners in drawing, of figures, animals, shipping, and landscape” 1838.
18. Standing Screen (Tsuitate) of a Tiger
A Japanese woodblock print of tiger by Kawanabe Kyôsai 1878.
In this print, most likely designed to celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Tiger in 1878, Kyōsai depicts an artist’s studio with all the accoutrements of an accomplished painter, including ink, brushes, and rolls of paper. Kyōsai was celebrated for his depictions of animals. In this print, he showcases his skill with depicting a majestic tiger on a painted screen, an image within an image. He has cleverly rendered his signature as if it appears on the screen’s surface.
You can find more Japanese woodblock prints here.
From the Iconographia Zoologica collection at the University of Amsterdam.
From the Iconographia Zoologica collection at the University of Amsterdam.
Drawing by Raden Selah 1827.
A resting tiger painted by the Japanese artist Ohara Koson.
Another Ohara Koson Japanese tiger painting.
Japanese painting of a tiger and dragon by Yoshimura Kokei.
The Year of the Tiger symbolizes courage, strength, and leadership. Takeuchi Seihō’s painting captures the tiger’s majestic power and bold spirit with stunning detail. Explore this artwork and the full collection of Japanese zodiac signs in the Japanese Zodiac Signs post.
Other Related Posts
There are some pictures of tigers being hunted on elephants in this collection of elephant illustrations.
There are more tiger illustrations in some of the other mammal collections in the Picture Box Blue zoological image collection. Such as with the fabulous animal posters of Adolphe Millot. Other charismatic animals featured include polar bears, penguins, and cockatoos.
If you fancy, you can Buy Me A Coffee Here.
Linda
Wednesday 24th of April 2024
The perfect graphics for my Japanese proverb, "If you do not enter the tiger's cave, you will not catch it's cub!". Just what I needed for my journal page! Love your site!
claire
Wednesday 24th of April 2024
Thank you so much, love the proverb!
Laura
Saturday 16th of October 2021
Woo how I love tigers, the last one is the bee's knees! (the best!)
claire
Sunday 17th of October 2021
Thank you so much, I'm glad you like the pictures.
Ruth
Sunday 23rd of May 2021
Tigers are one of my favorite critters too, thank you!
claire
Sunday 23rd of May 2021
Thank you, they are just so magnificent and beautiful creatures.
Cecilia
Monday 17th of May 2021
These are are lovely, Claire! Thanks for the sharing at Vintage Charm!
claire
Monday 17th of May 2021
Thank you so much, Cecilia. I do like tigers.
Augusta Golian
Sunday 9th of May 2021
I don't see how to download them. Thanks.
claire
Sunday 9th of May 2021
If you click on the link above the image that you want it will open up as a higher resolution image new window in your browser then if you right-click with your mouse you can save the image to your hard drive. That is how you download them. Let me know if you have any problems.