Lion attacking a horse 1840

Editor: Here we have Raden Saleh's "Lion Attacking a Horse," painted in 1840 using oil paint. It's a really dynamic scene; the horse looks absolutely terrified. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: The struggle depicted isn't just physical. Look at the horse’s desperate leap toward the chasm, the lion's firm grasp—it evokes primordial struggles reflected across cultures. It echoes images of predator versus prey, a dance as old as time itself, but rendered with the artist’s cultural memory. What symbolic load does this scene carry, do you think? Editor: I hadn't considered the cultural context! It feels very Romantic, that dramatic intensity. Is that linked to its deeper meaning? Curator: Romanticism prized strong emotions, and Saleh, though trained in Europe, brings a specific sensibility. Consider the horse – often a symbol of nobility, now victim to primal force. The lion, of course, symbolizes power. But power over what? Conquest? Domination? The Javanese audience would recognize a different implication to these images of power. Do you see these symbols differently now? Editor: Yes, the symbols are like layers of meaning. It's not just a lion and a horse, but power dynamics being played out. Curator: Exactly. The drama contains codes relevant to history, status, nature, and place, speaking in different languages according to the viewer’s background and emotional association. The power of iconography lies in its adaptability, creating meaning anew each time we view it. Editor: I'm definitely looking at this in a completely different light now, it's more than just a dramatic depiction of nature, it’s an intersection of cultural viewpoints and a complex discussion on power itself. Curator: Precisely, the power and drama in that intersection of views.