A Trapped Tiger

A Trapped Tiger by Eugène Delacroix, executed in 1854, stands as a distinctive example of the experimental photographic process known as cliché-verre. This unique medium, a hybrid combining drawing and photography, was only briefly utilized by the famed Romantic artist. To create the image, Delacroix would physically scratch or draw directly onto a light-sensitive glass plate, which was then employed as a negative to print onto paper. This method allowed the master painter to maintain the spontaneity and energy of his drawing style while producing reproducible prints.

As a pivotal figure in French Romanticism, Delacroix frequently depicted subjects of dramatic struggle, high emotion, and exotic interest, often drawing inspiration from Orientalist themes. Delacroix was renowned for his expressive depictions of wild animals, subjects that allowed him to explore movement and raw power. In this piece, he captures the intense, claustrophobic energy of the trapped tiger, using the stark contrasts inherent in the cliché-verre process to emphasize the beast’s muscular tension and frustration against its confining environment. The resulting image showcases the dynamic brushwork characteristic of Delacroix's hand, translated into graphic form.

While much of Delacroix’s reputation rests upon his monumental oil paintings, works like A Trapped Tiger reveal his continual pursuit of new media formats. The expressive quality achieved through these experimental prints, produced in France during a period of expanding photographic innovation, aligns with the artist’s lifelong interest in dramatic, deeply felt subjects. This important print is currently housed in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.