Tiger Lying in the Desert

1846 (?)
Not on view
Eugène Delacroix worked along side the artist Antoine-Louis Barye (1796-1875) on numerous animal studies between 1828-1830 in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. During this time, he studied the anatomy of cats in detail, even observing their dissections, which resulted in successul works on paper and paintings depicting tigers in the years to follow. His contemporary Théophile Gautier (1811-1872) once likened the artist to his subject matter: " He was mellow, soft as velvet, seductive as one of those tigers whose extraordinary supple grace he excelled in rendering."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Tiger Lying in the Desert
  • Artist: Eugène Delacroix (French, Charenton-Saint-Maurice 1798–1863 Paris)
  • Date: 1846 (?)
  • Medium: Etching, roulette, bitten tone, and drypoint on thin laid beige tracing paper; third state of six
  • Dimensions: Image: 3 9/16 x 5 1/4 in. (9 x 13.3 cm)
    Sheet: 5 3/4 x 9 in. (14.6 x 22.9 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of William Loring Andrews, 1883, transferred from the Library
  • Object Number: 83.1.90
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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