Lioness and Cubs c. 1832

Antoine Louis Barye made this watercolor called Lioness and Cubs sometime in the 19th century. Barye, deeply engaged with the natural world, renders this pride in a moment of repose, capturing their physical forms and relaxed intimacy. During the 1800s, a growing fascination with the animal kingdom intersected with European colonial expansion, and the rise of natural history as a field of scientific inquiry. Barye was known for his ability to capture the anatomy and spirit of animals with scientific precision, reflecting the broader 19th-century interest in observing, classifying, and understanding the natural world. However, it is impossible to ignore how images of exotic animals also bolstered a sense of European dominance, reinforcing the idea of the natural world as something to be possessed and controlled. Despite this cultural context, Barye’s work provides an intimate glimpse into the maternal bonds and the quiet, shared moments within a lion pride.