Liggende leeuw 1834 - 1911

This is 'Liggende leeuw', or 'Lying Lion' made by Jozef Israëls, a Dutch painter associated with the Hague School, working around the late 19th century. Israëls came from a Jewish background, and he was deeply affected by the social realities around him. As you can see, it’s a sketch, quick and free. But consider the lion, traditionally a symbol of power, here depicted in repose. There is a gentleness, a vulnerability in the lion’s posture, that complicates this symbolism. Israëls aimed to portray the emotional dimensions of human experience. In that sense, this drawing of a lion lying down reflects on the nature of strength, and its potential for tenderness and vulnerability. It invites us to consider the power dynamics inherent in representation, and perhaps, to find empathy in unexpected places.