Tiger Surprised by a Serpent c. 19th century

Curator: Before us, we have Charles Jean Louis Courtry’s "Tiger Surprised by a Serpent," an etching held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The scene is charged. The tiger's vulnerability is palpable, a primal fear etched in its expression, even though the composition feels a little dated to me. Curator: Courtry engages with longstanding colonial anxieties, portraying the colonized world as a place of lurking danger, where even the mightiest are vulnerable. What power dynamics are at play? Editor: Absolutely, and the snake, a potent symbol of deception and the unknown, taps into deep-seated fears of the 'other', present across cultures and time. Curator: The image also resonates with broader social anxieties about power and control during its time. Who preys on whom and why? Editor: It really speaks to the symbolic weight animals carry, reflecting, shaping, and reinforcing cultural perceptions. Curator: Thank you. Seeing this image now, we can appreciate its formal qualities but also its place within a history of representation—a fraught history to be sure. Editor: Yes, a potent reminder of how images can perpetuate harmful stereotypes while also revealing underlying societal anxieties.