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Johann Melchior Roos drew this lioness using red chalk on paper. Look closely, and you’ll see the subtle textures achieved with this material: the soft, almost dusty quality that defines the lioness’s fur, and the starker, linear marks used to define her muscular form. Red chalk is made from iron oxide pigment mixed with refined clay. Roos would have likely used a piece of naturally occurring chalk, carefully selected for its color and consistency, and then worked it to a point for drawing. This medium allowed for a range of tonal variations, from light, airy strokes to deep, rich shadows, giving the figure a sense of three-dimensionality and life. The choice of red chalk is also telling. It’s a material that invites a sense of immediacy and intimacy. Roos captured the lioness in a moment of poised tension, emphasizing the animal's physical presence and dynamic energy. Ultimately, Roos’s mastery with the material, elevates what might be seen as a mere study into a work of art.