Lion 

Curator: Here we have an evocative piece by Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, simply titled "Lion." It's an ink sketch, and given its informal, almost rushed quality, likely comes from one of his sketchbooks. Editor: Wow, that lion looks like it’s having a REALLY bad day! The quick, scratchy lines give it this frantic energy. Almost like a nightmare lion. I love the looseness, it has this "anything can happen" vibe, you know? Curator: Indeed. While a seemingly simple doodle, consider the symbolic weight of the lion across cultures. It represents royalty, strength, even divine power in some contexts. Steinlen was working in fin-de-siècle Paris, amidst societal anxieties and shifts. How might a traditional symbol of power be rendered so…agitated? Editor: Good point. The lines aren't just scribbles, they almost seem to be vibrating. It makes me wonder if Steinlen saw the lion, this symbol of power, as something threatened. Maybe even decaying. Or perhaps, it's the raw, untamed power that civilization tries to contain—leaking out, bit by bit? I’m totally projecting here, I know! Curator: Not at all, these interpretations enrich our experience of the piece. Notice how the ferocity is concentrated in the mouth and eye— age-old symbols of the voice and the gaze of authority. Steinlen uses this economical style, common to quick studies, to underscore a message. There's a psychological intensity here, laid bare by its incompleteness. Editor: It makes me think about cartoons, and how just a few lines can create so much drama. He's got this wild energy captured with these incredibly economical marks... almost gestural, I wonder if this lion’s roar is really one of fear. The artist maybe wanted to illustrate some sort of inner turmoil he, or his contemporaries, was facing? It might also speak about the fragility of these perceived superior qualities as power and courage, don’t you think? Curator: That is an astute observation, especially given Steinlen’s social and political leanings in his overall body of work. The lion as a figure, now stripped down and agitated. Editor: Right? It goes from majestic king of the jungle to…my cat when he's realized he's trapped in the bathtub. I kind of adore that about it. It's powerful, but endearingly vulnerable. Curator: Yes, this quick sketch presents us with a raw primal, animalistic roar against its inevitable collapse into the domain of anxieties and fears.