Die Löwenjagd (The Lion Hunt) 1922

Curator: Welcome. Today, we’re looking at Alfred Kubin's "The Lion Hunt," created in 1922. Kubin used ink, specifically a pen technique, to bring this intense scene to life. Editor: It’s incredibly dynamic. There’s a real sense of frenzied energy in the way Kubin has depicted this hunt; the lions look fierce, cornered even, and the hunters… well, their humanity seems diminished by the violence. Curator: The material itself, the ink, allows for incredibly fine, controlled lines, as we see in the rendering of the lions’ fur, yet there’s also an overall rawness. Kubin likely selected ink because its relatively cheap compared to other mediums; we should consider how accessibility shaped his oeuvre. Also consider that these images would’ve existed as print reproductions—reaching a wide audience in postwar Germany. Editor: Absolutely. This work hits you viscerally, forcing you to confront power dynamics, doesn't it? You see this clash, this literal life-or-death struggle between different groups—lions representing raw natural power, and humans enacting a form of colonial dominance, imposing their will on the natural world, and each other, because there seems little that unites them. They all seem at each other’s throats! Curator: I agree. And consider the production of the image. The lines create this incredible density and layering. Look at the frenetic energy in the mark-making, the sheer amount of labor embedded in the texture itself. Editor: Exactly. There's this interesting juxtaposition of the humans banded together with spears, against the individualistic struggle of the lions. It speaks to social and even gendered dynamics. Who gets to participate in power? Curator: I also find myself focusing on how a print becomes an endlessly reproducible object—reflecting mass culture and mass consumption patterns, creating an aesthetic experience tied into modern anxieties. Editor: This tension reflects not just colonial relationships but how those historical power imbalances still resonate within societies. It is about who has the right to control the narrative, both in Kubin's time and in ours. Curator: Precisely, its continued power stems from those contradictions embedded into its means of production. The ink makes it both permanent and ubiquitous. Editor: So, what starts as a snapshot of power becomes an enduring interrogation. Powerful work. Curator: Indeed, the choice of print media ensures that conversation endures.