Tiger Sleeping at the Entrance to its Lair (Tigre couché à l'entrée de son antre) c. 1828 - 1833

Editor: Here we have Delacroix's etching, *Tiger Sleeping at the Entrance to its Lair*, dating from around 1828 to 1833. The first thing that strikes me is its abstract quality; I had to look closely to find the tiger! What do you see in this piece? Curator: I'm immediately transported! The power of suggestion is potent here. It's not about precise representation, but about conjuring the *feeling* of wildness, of untamed nature, and the primal energy of the sleeping beast. The swirling lines – almost chaotic – give way to a quieter stillness where the tiger rests. Does it feel threatening or serene to you? Editor: Hmm, both, actually. There's definitely a sense of latent power, that it *could* be dangerous in an instant, but right now it’s so still. How does it relate to the Romanticism movement? Curator: Ah, great question. Delacroix was a key figure! This etching embodies the Romantic fascination with the sublime, the awe-inspiring, and sometimes terrifying, power of nature. It moves away from the classical emphasis on order and reason and celebrates emotion, intuition, and the raw beauty found in the natural world. Editor: So, even in this quiet scene, it's conveying the larger, more dramatic ideas of the time. Curator: Precisely! It invites us to contemplate the tiger not just as an animal, but as a symbol of untamed forces. We feel its quiet power, its majesty. It is a reflection on nature, self, and, dare I say, mortality. What a slumber! I imagine the dreams held by a beast so connected to the life force of the universe… What does the tiger dream of? Editor: Wow, that's given me a lot to think about! Thanks, that was illuminating. Curator: My pleasure!