Rothschild's Giraffe Baby - Animal Art

This animal art painting by Elle Smith captures the Rothschild's Giraffe baby in a heart of love, as sadly this sub-species of giraffe, is one of the most endangered. Painted in oils this animal art painting is packed with colour, personality and the style unique to London Artist, Elle Smith. This artist paints animal art with the sole aim of education and awareness to inform the public about the fate of many relatively unknown endangered species. Sadly, at the close to last year the giraffe was added to the Red List of Threatened Species, which is maintained by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Rothschild's Giraffe has several species names, but to explain why it acquired this name, we must look to the founder of Tring Museum, Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild. Declaring at the age of seven that he would run a zoological museum, he began collecting insects, butterflies and other animals at the family home in Tring Park. He went to work at the family's banking empire at age 21 years and worked there for nineteen years, until he was allowed to leave. His family by way of compensating him, allowed him to undertake expeditions to acquire animals from around the world. He founded the largest, private collection of zoological collection ever held by one person in 1892. Interestingly, this giraffe was one of some 239 animal and insect species bearing his name. The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum still exists today, and is now part of the Natural History Museum in London.

It is estimated that there are only 1500 of this species in the wild, so the Rothschild's Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) is indeed a rare species, facing dangers like loss of habitat without sustainable alternatives, poaching and human population growth. The baby or calf, is born after 15 months gestation, and when delivered literally drops six feet to the ground. However, despite this abrupt entry to the world, the already approximately six feet tall calf is up and walking within 30 minutes. The ossicones (which are horn-like structures) on the head of the baby giraffe will not stand upright for up to a month.

Elle Smith's contemporary oil painting of Rothschild's Giraffe Baby has texture and style. The realism of this baby giraffe is uncanny as the eyes glare intensely back at the viewer. The painting is two-dimensional with a pastel ochre background, inner cream centre encircled by an imposing gunmetal heart. This animal art painting is artistic, exquisite and stylish at the same time, which added to the very compact size, is truly an item to treasure!

Oil on Canvas, 10 by 8 inches (25 by 20cm)