The Black Panther is in Captivity

20179 1⁄2 x 9 inches unframed, 16 x 16 1⁄2 inches framed $1,200

Watercolor on paper. Courtesy of the artist.

This unique drawing by Ido Michaeli is part of a series of preliminary studies for a tapestry by the artist titled Black Panther Got Loose from the Bronx Zoo (2017). The tapestry is based on a story reported in the New York Times in 1902 of a young panther that escaped from the Bronx Zoo, evaded a police pursuit, dove into the Bronx River, and swam to freedom. In this study, the panther is shown in captivity. The project is inspired by the tradition of European tapestry making, and references The Hunt of the Unicorn (1495-1505), a tapestry from the late Middle Ages that depicts a hunt for a unicorn in the French countryside, which is part of The Met Cloisters collection in New York.

Ido Michaeli, *The Black Panther is in Captivity,* 2017, watercolor on paper.