Kop van een leeuw 1864 - 1936

Jan van Essen made this head of a lion with pencil on paper. Van Essen’s choice of subject matter, the head of a lion, has a long history, especially within Dutch art of the 19th century. Here, the artist takes the ‘king of beasts’ as a subject for artistic study. In the 19th century, lions were seen as symbols of strength and power, frequently used to convey the authority of empire. It's important to note that lions aren't native to the Netherlands, but would have been seen in zoos and in other artworks. This drawing could have been a study for a larger work or a demonstration of the artist’s skill. If we were to research the work further, we could look into the artist's other works and his involvement in artistic institutions to understand the drawing’s wider cultural role. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.