Head of a Lion and Lion Lying Down 

Curator: Here we see a sketch by John Macallan Swan entitled "Head of a Lion and Lion Lying Down" housed at the Tate Collections. Editor: It’s immediately striking. The paper has aged to a gorgeous warm tone, providing such depth to the charcoal rendering. Curator: Indeed, the artist’s use of line is particularly noteworthy. Observe how he uses quick, expressive strokes to capture the animal's musculature. Editor: The choice of charcoal suggests the performative aspect of art-making in depicting something powerful and wild. It gets to the rawness. Curator: And the composition invites the viewer to consider the relationship between the head and the reclining body as signifiers of regal power and repose. Editor: It’s true, the study reflects a tension, between the physical form and its symbolic weight within the legacy of animal depictions in art. Curator: Swan successfully marries the formal elements with the essence of his subject. Editor: Exactly. It’s a captivating exploration of material and form.