Tiger and Snake

"Tiger and Snake," painted by the French artist Eugène Delacroix in 1862, is a powerful example of the dynamism and emotional intensity characteristic of the late Romantic movement. Executed in oil on canvas, the work depicts a violent confrontation between the massive striped predator and a coiled serpent. Delacroix, renowned for his expressive use of color and energetic brushwork, captures the struggle in a flash of movement and primal conflict. The painting highlights the artist's enduring fascination with exotic animals and themes of natural violence, which served as potent metaphors for untamed emotion in Romantic thought.

This piece was created late in the artist’s career, placing it within the significant period spanning 1851 to 1875, when Delacroix’s mastery of color theory was at its height. Delacroix employs loose, highly visible brushstrokes typical of his mature style, prioritizing vivid color contrasts and emotional charge over precise realism. The compositional energy is concentrated in the twisting bodies of the antagonists; the juxtaposition of the coiling snake and the powerful tiger creates a spiral of intense tension. Through his masterful handling of light and shadow, Delacroix emphasizes the raw ferocity of the animals, maintaining the sense of immediacy despite the somber palette.

While many of Delacroix’s influential sketches and studies are now in the public domain, allowing for the widespread creation of archival prints, the original Tiger and Snake remains a crucial painting illustrating the apex of French Romantic expression. Classified as a significant canvas from the final years of the artist's life, this work resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it continues to demonstrate Delacroix’s profound legacy as a colorist and dramatist of the sublime.