Leeuw en twee matrozen 1893 - 1894

This is a humorous print made by Imagerie d'Épinal, depicting a lion and two sailors. We see a narrative unfold through a series of panels: two sailors, seeking respite from the African sun, are confronted by a lion. The barrel, initially a simple vessel, transforms into a symbol of protection and confinement. The image of the sailors circling the barrel to evade the lion reminds us of ancient ritualistic dances. The lion, trapped and tail knotted, is a carnivalesque reversal of fortune, a cathartic release of tension through laughter. Consider how the motif of the ‘beast subdued by wit’ appears in other contexts. The enduring appeal of this image lies in its ability to tap into our primal fears and our equally primal delight in overcoming them. It's a dance of predator and prey, freedom and constraint, fear and laughter, played out on the stage of our collective imagination. It reveals the cyclical nature of human experience.