The Royal Tiger is a compelling lithograph created by the French Romantic master Eugène Delacroix in 1829. This significant work is identified as the second state of a total of four, demonstrating Delacroix’s evolving process in the relatively new medium of lithography. As a highly successful printmaker, Delacroix embraced the versatility of the technique, allowing him to capture the dynamic texture of the wild animal and its setting with expressive detail.
The subject matter, central to Delacroix’s fascination with exotic and powerful creatures, renders the tiger with both realism and dramatic intensity. The animal is placed within a dense, shadowed landscape, emphasizing the untamed wilderness inherent in both the feline and its environment. Delacroix’s mastery evident in this lithograph lies in his application of light and shadow, which conveys the tense musculature and inherent danger of the animal lying in wait. Such depictions of raw, untamed nature were critical themes explored by Romantic artists of the period.
The classification of this piece as a Print highlights its role in the reproduction and dissemination of the artist's ideas. This particular impression of Royal Tiger is held within the extensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in New York, where it serves as a key example of the artist’s graphic works. Because of its date of creation, this important Delacroix print is often found in the public domain, making high-quality reproductions and study prints accessible for scholars and art enthusiasts globally.
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