Lion c. 1612 - 1613

Peter Paul Rubens made this drawing of a lion with chalk on paper in the 17th century. The lion, often seen as king of beasts, carries complex social symbolism. Rubens was a Flemish artist working in a time when the region was under Spanish rule, and steeped in aristocratic culture. The lion, as a symbol, was frequently used by the Spanish monarchy, and so Rubens would have been aware of the animal’s connotations of power and dominance. Lions were often kept in captivity in European cities, and so it's possible that Rubens studied a real-life lion in order to make this sketch. The image of the lion, therefore, blends observation with the social and political context in which it was made. Art historians are always concerned with teasing out the ways that artistic production is shaped by the institutions and social structures of its time. Through careful research into the history of the period, we can better understand the complex layers of meaning within this drawing.