This painting, dated 1901, is one of just four illustrations known to have survived from the original set of 16 painted by the Detmold twins.
The dark sentiment of the illustration lends a surprising contrast to lighter, modern interpretations of the story. It depicts a post-climactic scene, where protagonist Mowgli returns a herd of buffalo back to the village after using them to trigger a stampede that crushes his foe, the murderous tiger - Shere Khan.
Main Image :Watercolour illustration titled ‘The Return of the Buffalo Herd’ (1901) | © National Trust Images/James Dobson