Lion Devouring a Rabbit

The work Lion Devouring a Rabbit, attributed to the great Romantic master Eugène Delacroix French, 1798–1863, captures the dramatic intensity often associated with the 19th-century French movement. This powerful piece explores the savage vitality of the natural world, a recurring and essential theme in Delacroix’s broader oeuvre, which frequently included scenes of exotic hunts and animal conflicts.

Created sometime between 1818 and 1863, the composition utilizes the precision of drawing despite its official classification as a print by the Art Institute of Chicago. The detailed execution involves pen and brown iron gall ink applied over a preliminary sketch in graphite. The artist chose ivory laid paper for the support, which was subsequently laid down on ivory Japanese paper for preservation and stability. This layered approach emphasizes the careful technical consideration given to the piece, while the use of ink highlights the nervous energy and expressive application typical of the artist’s finished studies.

Delacroix held a profound fascination with exotic animals and scenes of conflict, often sketching wild creatures from observation or published illustrations. The depiction of the powerful lion consuming its prey, a rabbit, serves as a visceral metaphor for raw, untamed force and the indifference of nature. While the exact date within the artist's long career is unknown, the powerful lines and intense focus on natural drama align with the aesthetics of Romanticism in France. Today, high-resolution prints of this seminal work are often available for study, frequently residing in the public domain due to their age. This drawing remains an important component of the permanent collection at the Art Institute of Chicago.