The Wounded Lion
Original title: The Wounded Lion
kurzbeschreibung
A wounded lion lies at the centre of James Gillray's 1805 satire Der verwundete Löwe, hemmed in by a serpent-like figure, a woman with a sword and other onlookers. The hand-coloured etching draws on the political events of its day and stands as a prime example of Gillray's caricature style.
Description
In the foreground a wounded lion sprawls with papers clutched in its paws, while a snake-like creature coils around it. Beside the beast sits a woman in a blue gown holding a sword, tending to the animal with obvious concern. A monkey perches in a tree behind them, clutching a sheet of paper and writing in the air. Further off, a cluster of figures has gathered with their documents, and on the left a bearded man in a hat sits watching the lion. Earth tones dominate the palette, broken by touches of blue and red, with the light spread evenly across the scene.
Context
The etching dates from 1805, a period of intense political tension in Britain during the Napoleonic Wars. Gillray, known for his biting political caricatures, routinely targeted the events and personalities of the day. The wounded lion can be read as an allegory of Britain or of a political figure, though the precise references are not considered definitively established.
Impact
Pity and irony mingle here, since the majestic lion appears injured and helpless. Satirical touches such as the writing monkey and the serpent-like figure sharpen the critical undertone and invite interpretation.
Technique
An etching, coloured by hand with watercolour afterwards. The method was widespread for caricatures in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, since it allowed cheap reproduction followed by individual colouring.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)