A person wearing a white shirt, dark pants, and a black cap views a large painting of moose wildlife in a natural landscape at an art gallery.
Past Exhibition

Survival Of The Fittest: Envisioning Wildlife and Wilderness with the Big Four

February 17, 2024 through May 26, 2024

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Survival Of The Fittest: Envisioning Wildlife and Wilderness with the Big Four, Masterworks from the Rijksmuseum Twenthe and the National Museum of Wildlife Art

Survival of the Fittest is the first time The James Museum will feature the paintings of four European masters. With 45 compelling masterworks, this exhibition comments on current conversations on land and wildlife conservation, offering profound insights into humanity’s evolving relationship with the wild. Known today as the Big Four—German-American Carl Rungius (1869–1959), Germans Richard Friese (1854–1918) and Wilhelm Kuhnert (1865–1926), and Swedish artist Bruno Liljefors (1860–1939)—revolutionized Western perspectives on our connection with Earth’s creatures.

Highlights From the Exhibition

Carl Rungius (Germany, 1869-1959), Morning Mist (Harlow Triptych), c. 1930. Oil on canvas.

Bruno Liljefors (Sweden, 1860-1939), Migrating Mute Swans, 1925. Oil on canvas. 41 ½ x 62.

Wilhelm Kunert (Germany, 1865- 1926), Giraffes in Blooming Field, Ulanga, Tanzania, n.d.

Richard Friese (Germany, 1854-1918), Polar Bear and Eiders on the Coast, n.d. Oil on canvas. 25 x 38 inches. Collection of the Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede, Netherlands. Photograph by Rik Klein Gotink.

Wilhelm Kuhnert (Germany, 1865 – 1926), African Lions, c. 1911. Oil on canvas. 64 x 50 inches. JKM Collection®, National Museum of Wildlife Art.

Transport yourself to the natural habitats of our world’s most majestic animals, a rare luxury in the time of the Big Four that still provides a captivating experience for today’s audience. Survival of the Fittest places the Big Four’s paintings in an international context, exploring colonialism, Darwinism, art history and alternative perspectives on wildlife and nature. This stunning exhibition captivates with the awe-inspiring beauty of nature and invites visitors to reflect on their own relationship with the natural world. 

“It’s exciting for us to have so many works by European masters exhibited at The James for the first time. Highlighting the best wildlife art is a core part of what The James Museum offers our guests. Survival of the Fittest is the perfect introduction to the Big Four artists who revolutionized art depicting nature and wildlife.”

Emily Kapes, Chief Curator at The James Museum

Exhibition Credit

Survival of the Fittest: Envisioning Wildlife and Wilderness with the Big Four, Masterworks from the Rijksmuseum Twenthe and the National Museum of Wildlife Art is curated by Adam Duncan Harris, Grainger/Kerr Director of the Carl Rungius Catalogue Raisonné and organized by the National Museum of Wildlife Art.

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