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Lawrence Lebduska Fight in the Jungle oil on canvas 1937 Lawrence Lebduska was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1894. He received no formal artistic training. However, he did work painting murals for Elsie de Wolfe in New York City. Animals constitute the subject matter for most of Lebduska's work, generally in fierce situations. He once lived with an uncle who bred horses in Orangeville, Maryland, where he had the opportunity to observe these animals in all their tempers. He also researched and read books describing animals' colors, forms and habits. These observations led to a work of folk-fantasy.

In the 1930s, several major New York City galleries began to feature works by a variety of nonacademic artists. Lebduska's work was recognized along with John Kane, Morris Hirschfield, Grandma Moses, and Horace Pippin. In 1936, the Contemporary Arts Gallery held a near sellout show of paintings by Lebduska. This show is said to have inspired Abby Aldrich Rockefellor to begin her famous folk art collection.

It is not known how long Lebduska was involved with the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project (WPA/FAP). The University Museum received two FAP works including this one and one entitled, "Spring". Lebduska continued to flouirsh during the 1940s, until ill health forced him to limit his artistic endeavors. He died in 1966.

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