This is Lycopardus parthenophagus (Wolf-leopard maiden eater), more commonly known as the Beast of Gévaudan.

It is most often described as a huge wolf or hyena looking beast with feline attributes and is known to attack and devour women and young children.

The beast itself however, isn't real at all. XD It's like the loch ness monster of France.

Though, some pretty compelling theories can be found on wikipedia about the creature. [link]

As for me, I suspect the story rose from the very real incidents of wolves attacking and even eating humans in the rural areas of France during the time farmers were expanding their fields into the forrests.

It makes great artistic material, though. XD

La Bete de Gevaudan was made with water colours, pastels, white grease pen, sakura micron ink pens and calligraphy pen on textured card stock.

After I finished the main image, I crumpled the paper an infinite amount of times until I got the fine crackled texture in the page and I even folded the corners the creases you see in old books. I then cut a ragged outline of the page with a swiveling exacto and applied the black and brown pastels to make it look burnt.

The letter that you see in the background was a letter written in 1783, reporting an attack on a certain Jeane Boulet.