Lion Hunt

1860–61

In 1832 Delacroix joined an envoy to French-colonized Algeria. In his journals he expressed admiration for Arab culture, even characterizing it as superior to that of post-revolutionary France. Nevertheless, in paintings like this he catered to violent European fantasies about the Arab world. Having never witnessed a lion hunt, he synthesized studies of landscapes, Islamic costume, and zoo animals to bring this narrative to life with intensity.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Eugène Delacroix (French, 1798–1863)

Date

1860–61

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

76.5 × 98.5 cm (30 × 38 1/2 in.); Framed: 105.5 × 125.8 cm (41 1/2 × 49 1/2 in.)

Origin

France

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Potter Palmer Collection