Tiger Drinking c. 1853 - 1855

Editor: Here we have Eugène Delacroix’s "Tiger Drinking", a pencil drawing. The tiger's form is beautifully rendered, but the landscape is just sketched in. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Let's consider Delacroix's materials. The humble pencil and paper speak to accessibility and rapid production, likely a study. How does this contrast with, say, the finished oil paintings commissioned by the bourgeoisie? Is the "roughness" a choice, reflecting a change in artistic patronage and the market for art? Editor: That's interesting, thank you.