Studies of a Lion's Legs and Paws; and a Copy After an Antique Head c. 1825

Curator: This is Eugène Delacroix’s "Studies of a Lion's Legs and Paws; and a Copy After an Antique Head," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a fascinating sketch. Editor: It feels so immediate! The scratchy line work gives it an urgent, almost frantic quality. What kind of paper is this on, and how does that contribute? Curator: It is a study, after all. These sketches served as a visual vocabulary for Delacroix, informing his later works with powerful, symbolic animals. The lion, of course, representing strength and primal instinct. Editor: I’m curious about the physical process. The pressure of the pen, the texture of the paper itself... how accessible were these materials, and how did that shape Delacroix's study? Did these specific materials democratize artmaking, or did they reinforce existing class structures? Curator: Interesting thought. For me, the head is more compelling. It represents something classical, something to aspire towards, in conversation with the raw power of the lion. Editor: Yes, and it suggests Delacroix was thinking critically about the labor involved in depicting power—both natural and constructed. Curator: A truly intriguing piece, offering glimpses into the artist’s mind. Editor: Indeed, an invitation to consider how the very act of drawing shapes meaning.