Young Tiger Playing with Its Mother

Young Tiger Playing with Its Mother is a remarkable lithograph created by Eugène Delacroix (French, 1798-1863) in 1831, printed by Castille. This important work captures the fluid grace and intimate interaction between two powerful feline subjects, a theme central to the French Romantic master’s oeuvre. The piece is executed as a lithograph in black on buff wove paper, a medium that Delacroix utilized to achieve expressive, painterly effects often associated with drawing, allowing for greater spontaneity than traditional etching or engraving techniques.

Delacroix was a leading figure in the Romantic movement, known for injecting his subjects with high emotion and dramatic tension, even in seemingly quiet moments. His lifelong fascination with powerful and exotic animals, which he often studied rigorously in the menageries of Paris, is evident here. The composition skillfully balances the raw power of the mother tiger with the playful curiosity of the young cub. This intensive study of animal subjects, imbuing them with near-human psychological depth, sets Delacroix’s work apart from contemporary animal illustration.

Dating to a key period of artistic innovation in France, the print reflects the growing popularity and accessibility of prints enabled by new reproductive technologies of the 19th century. The detailed execution and stark contrast achieved in black ink reveal why Delacroix’s graphic output was highly regarded and influential among his peers. This distinguished work resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, contributing to the museum's significant holdings of major public domain examples of French Romantic prints.