Young Tiger Playing with its Mother

Young Tiger Playing with its Mother by Eugène Delacroix French, 1798-1863, created in 1831, is a significant example of the artist's intense focus on the untamed power and dynamism of animals. Classified as a print, the work was executed as a lithograph in black ink. Delacroix employed an unusual combination of substrates, printing the image on delicate, off-white China paper, which was subsequently laid down onto a supportive sheet of white wove paper. A unique characteristic of this particular impression is the selective application of blue coloring to specific areas, suggesting an early exploration into hand-coloring print media.

Delacroix, a leading figure of French Romanticism, was captivated by the untamed grace of wild animals, a thematic interest that recurs throughout his extensive oeuvre. This piece captures a moment of domestic interaction, illustrating a young tiger engaged in play with its powerful mother. Such dramatic depictions of nature reflected the widespread cultural fascination with the exotic and the sublime that characterized 19th-century France. Although primarily known for his grand history paintings and oil sketches, Delacroix mastered various artistic media, and his innovative use of lithography helped elevate the status of fine art prints during this era. This exceptional work is preserved in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a powerful illustration of the artist’s technical skill outside of painting. High-quality fine art prints of such important historical works are often made available through the institution's commitment to the public domain.