Nach rechts schreitende Löwin 

Johann Melchior Roos made this red chalk drawing of a lioness sometime between 1663 and 1731. Lions have long been symbols of power and strength and we see them frequently in European heraldry. Roos’s lioness may also be referencing the tradition of the menagerie, a private collection of exotic animals, kept by aristocratic families. Such collections were status symbols, but also purported to increase scientific knowledge through observation. In Germany during the Baroque period, the display of such animals was also a way for those in power to assert dominance over the natural world and by implication, their own populace. Art historians consult a range of documents, including estate inventories, travel journals, and emblem books to understand the relationship between artistic representations of animals, natural philosophy, and social status in this period. The image reminds us that art is shaped by the cultural values of its time.