Boschbrand (Forest Fire) -Two tigers and a banteng

In the middle of the painting, you will feel a cluster of irregular lines. This is the face of the tiger, the focal point of the painting. The King of the Forest faces us directly with its piercing yellow eyes and jaw opened wide in a roar, with four sharp canines on full display. Trailing your hand down from the tiger’s head, feel its outstretched limbs: its front paws are fully extended, and its hind legs push against the rocks behind, driving it forward. Stretched out mid-leap, the painting captures the very moment before it plunges off the edge of the cliff.

From the tiger, move your finger towards four ’o clock until you come across a rough sandpaper-like texture. This is an ox, otherwise known as a banteng. As you trace its body, you'll find that its legs are pointing to the sky. Having thoroughly lost its footing, the banteng is plunging headfirst into the abyss below. It cranes its neck desperately, looking towards us, the right half of its terrified face illuminated by the firelight. The other half of its face is shrouded in shadow, as if foretelling its fate in the next moment.

To the right of the banteng, there’s a side view of another tiger that is also plummeting down the cliff. This tiger's head is tilted upwards, its body forming a curved-hook shape. To your hands, the tiger and the banteng may feel like one indistinguishable shape as they are closely intertwined. However, you can try to discern between the sandpaper-like texture of the banteng and the thin stripes of the tiger. The tiger's hind legs are braced on the back of the banteng, its forepaws tightly digging into the banteng's side, leaving red streaks of blood. Here, the tiger’s extended claws are not for killing or feeding, but a futile attempt to grasp to save itself as it falls.

You may wonder why the animals are in such positions. The background of the painting is lit in shades of red and orange as a huge fire burns, threatening to consume everything in its path. Blinded by fear, they have arrived at the precipice between life and death.

There are several other animals in the background of the painting. To learn more, flip to the next layer.