Standing Lion with Shaggy Mane n.d.

Frederik William Zurcher drew this ‘Standing Lion with Shaggy Mane’ in the 19th century. It is currently located in the Art Institute of Chicago. The drawing is a study in contrasts, where the lion’s powerful form is softened by the hazy charcoal medium. Zurcher skillfully uses light and shadow to sculpt the animal’s body, with the mane serving as a focal point through its dense, almost chaotic lines. The lion’s gaze is directed off-page, which introduces a temporal dimension. The work asks us to consider what the lion is looking at. What does he think? We may consider the lion as a symbol of strength, but the delicate application of charcoal gives the drawing a melancholic or contemplative quality. It is in this dialogue between form and representation that the drawing finds its resonance.