This print recalls a road surveying incident in 1835, when G. D. Coleman and his group were attacked by a tiger while inspecting a new road through the jungle. The tiger destroyed one of Coleman’s surveying equipment and disappeared back into the jungle. The print shows the moment that the tiger lunges out of the dense vegetation, suggesting the dangers lurking beneath the unexplored terrain of the tropical landscape. The human figures show sudden gestures of surprise. This sense of reflexive action, together with the artist’s use of bright colours, give an impression of close encounters and immediacy. This reflects a different type of colonial encounter from the distant view of landscapes usually depicted in topographical paintings of Singapore from the early 19th century.
