Lioness Resting 1885

Jan van Essen created this oil on panel of a ‘Lioness Resting’ in 1885. The painting is dominated by a palette of soft greys and ochres which provide a textural and chromatic unity between the figure of the lioness and her environment. The composition invites you to engage with its serene and intimate scene. The formal choices reflect a departure from traditional, heroic representations of animals. The lioness is not depicted in dynamic action or symbolic form. The composition uses a horizontal orientation, emphasizing the animal's relaxed posture, challenging the viewer to reconsider conventional representations of nature and wildlife. The materiality of the paint, with its visible brushstrokes and subtle gradations of color, draws attention to the surface quality of the painting. This focus on materiality destabilizes the illusion of depth, encouraging the viewer to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of the artwork itself. This approach mirrors broader artistic concerns of the period, where artists were experimenting with abstraction and surface.