066

  • Study of Lion Heads

  • ca. 1832-1861
  • Ferdinand-Victor-Eugène Delacroix (French 1798-1863)
  • Graphite drawing
  • 24.2 x 31.3 cm., 9-1/2 x 12-3/8" sheet
  • Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Moss through Catherine Carter Goebel, Paul A. Anderson Chair in the Arts, Paul A. Anderson Art History Collection, Augustana College 1995.26.2

Essay by Regina Gorham, Class of 2006

This drawing illustrates Romantic fascination not only with nature as observed in landscape, but with exotic and dangerous animals that inhabit such environments. The potential drama offered by such subjects challenged the privileged position of humans as defined in the classical tradition and reinforced by the Neoclassicists of the previous generation. While Delacroix was universally celebrated for his rich and innovative use of color, his talent is immediately apparent in his sketches as well. The Study of Lion Heads was most likely undertaken during a journey to Morocco and Spain, where he saw a variety of such animals (Wellington 56). Another influence for the subject would have been seventeenth-century Peter Paul Rubens' Lion Hunt (1617-1618).

Within the overall Study of Lion Heads, there are seven smaller sketches, all unfinished, five of lions and two of lionesses. The lions speak to anyone viewing them; the graphite pencil effectively contrasts the harsh, dark lines of the lions' eyes with the lighter, wispier lines of their manes. Since most of the lions' heads are unfinished, they take on an even more mysterious look, as if they are camouflaged and fading back into the paper itself. They are all sketched in graphite with the power and force of this medium beautifully capturing their essence. This sketch exemplifies the type of careful preliminary consideration Delacroix took in preparation for his final paintings, demonstrating how the foundation, the armature beneath the color, was just as important to him as the finished canvas.

Delacroix was truly swept up in Romanticism and advanced its cause through his new techniques, subject matter and overall artistic ability. Like most Romantics, he emphasized nature and its intriguing potential for danger. This sketch demonstrates the versatility of Delacroix's artistic talents, far beyond his celebrated use of color, within the more restrictive medium of graphite.