Liggende leeuw en leeuwin 1864 - 1936

Jan van Essen sketched these lions, recumbent, in tones of grey and black, sometime between his birth in 1854 and death in 1936. The lion, king of beasts, has a powerful, cross-cultural resonance. From ancient Egypt, where the lion was a symbol of royal power and protection, to the biblical story of Daniel in the lion's den, the lion embodies strength and courage. Remember the Lion Gate at Mycenae, guardians of the city? Even in modern heraldry, the lion represents bravery and nobility. But here, van Essen shows us the lions at rest. We see a tension here. The lioness especially, with her head raised, seems vigilant even in repose. It’s as if the weight of the ages – the expectation of power – rests heavily upon her. This cyclical progression reminds us that symbols are never static. They evolve, adapt, and resurface, carrying the echoes of the past into the present.