Lions in a Mountainous Landscape
This vigorous painting of six lions in a remote, spectrally illuminated lair—possibly intended to evoke the Atlas Mountains of Morocco—is an extraordinary example of Gericault’s spontaneous handling of paint. Rather than applying finishing touches to make a polished cabinet picture, the artist left the painting in a state known as an esquisse, or sketch, a work prized by fellow artists for its strength of directly capturing a subject or effect. Until its acquisition by the Museum, the composition was known only by means of a replica (Musée du Louvre, Paris), which is thought to have been painted by an artist in Gericault’s circle.
Artwork Details
- Title: Lions in a Mountainous Landscape
- Artist: Théodore Gericault (French, Rouen 1791–1824 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1818–20
- Medium: Oil on wood
- Dimensions: 19 x 23 1/2 in. (48.3 x 59.7 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Nineteenth-Century, Modern, and Contemporary Funds and Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2011
- Object Number: 2011.5
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
Audio
6011. Lions in a Mountainous Landscape
0:00
0:00
We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. Please email info@metmuseum.org to request a transcript for this track.
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.