HOWITT, Samuel (British, 1765-1822).
Raccoon.
Watercolor and graphite on paper.
7 1/8" x 4 1/2" sheet, 10" x 7 3/4" mount.

Howitt depicts a North American raccoon (Procyon lotor) in profile, atop a weathered boulder with its ringed tail extending behind. The animal turns its dark-masked face toward the viewer, alert and seemingly arrested mid-stride. The artist builds up the textured pelt with fine graphite hatching beneath delicate washes of gray and ochre, achieving a convincing sense of dense, grizzled fur.

The raccoon held a particular appeal for British viewers in the early nineteenth century. Native only to the Americas, the species was familiar to most Britons chiefly through specimens exhibited in traveling menageries and at fixed collections like the Exeter Exchange on the Strand and the royal menagerie at the Tower of London, where curious crowds could observe living examples of creatures from the former North American colonies. The animal also figured prominently in transatlantic commerce, as raccoon pelts were imported in substantial quantities to supply the British hat and fur trades. For naturalists, meanwhile, the raccoon posed a taxonomic puzzle that had occupied classifiers since Linnaeus, who initially placed it among the bears as Ursus lotor before later authorities recognized it as a distinct genus.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, COD (cash on delivery), MasterCard, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Packing and handling of purchased lots by us or by someone else is at the entire risk of the purchaser. Purchasers are responsible for all packing and shipping costs.
We are not responsible for the acts or omissions of carriers or packers of purchased lots whether or not recommended by us.

by Arader Galleries
June 27, 2026 1:00 PM EDT
1016 Madison Avenue
New York, NY, US 10075

Arader Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000