De leeuw 1894 - 1959

This lithograph, called ‘De leeuw’, by Gordinne, shows a lion in pursuit of an antelope in a vaguely African landscape. I can almost see the artist, Gordinne, hovering over their work, delicately applying layers of color to bring this scene to life. It feels like the artist is trying to balance accuracy with imagination. The lion's fur, rendered in careful strokes, contrasts with the looser, more gestural background. Did Gordinne want to bring a sense of realism to a subject they may never have seen firsthand? I wonder if the artist was thinking about other artists at the time? Perhaps they were influenced by earlier generations of painters who depicted exotic animals and faraway lands. The landscape and use of line gives me folk art vibes. It’s like they are all in this conversation, bouncing ideas off each other across time. It is an embodied expression that embraces both the known and the unknown.