Studies of Lions
Eugène Delacroix (French, 1798-1863)
c. 1829
- Medium
- Graphite on cream laid paper
- Classification
- Drawing and Watercolor
- Dimensions
- 22.7 × 34.2 cm (8 15/16 × 13 1/2 in.)
- Culture
- France
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago, Prints and Drawings
- Credit line
- David Adler Collection
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Little Ones profiles and older: it shows gentle subjects for the very young. How works are placed
View at the Art Institute of Chicago
About this work
Delacroix created these preliminary images for the nearby Lion of the Atlas Mountains (1927.1646), which would appear in reverse as a result of the printmaking process. Experimenting with several positions for the lion’s prey, and two expressions for the feline itself, this abbreviated sheet suggests several close sessions at the Jardin des Plantes. Ever diligent in his research, Delacroix even sought permission to arrive before the zoo opened to the public, to watch the lions being fed.
Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0
