Lysimachus vecht tegen een leeuw c. 1655 - 1665

Leonaert Bramer made this wash drawing, Lysimachus fighting a lion, sometime in the 17th century. Bramer was working in a Dutch Republic which was in its Golden Age, a time when Dutch trade, science, and the arts were among the most celebrated in the world. In this drawing, the figure of Lysimachus, clad in classical armor, confronts a lion in a grotto. Lysimachus was one of Alexander the Great’s generals, who, after Alexander’s death, became King of Thrace, Asia Minor, and Macedonia. Lysimachus was known for his courage and strength. Stories like this were told to consolidate the power of rulers and the elite. Here the artist seems more focused on the raw power of the natural world, making the heroic figure look vulnerable. What does it mean to make a drawing of power, about a man of power, in which the animal seems to hold the upper hand? I wonder, does this drawing uphold a traditional view of masculine power, or does it subtly propose an alternative vision?