Gevecht tussen leeuwen en tijgers 1847 - 1865

Franciscus Bernardus Waanders created this image of fighting lions and tigers. It is an arena of primal forces. The lion, traditionally a solar symbol of royalty and courage, clashes with the tiger, a lunar symbol associated with power. But what is revealed here is not so much power, but rather nature and the cycles of life and death. We find this motif in other works, for example, in Delacroix's romantic paintings, where lions are depicted with heightened emotion. The tiger is locked in combat, while in the foreground, a fallen horse lies dead—a reminder of the transient nature of life. Waanders seems to be tapping into something primal, engaging viewers on a subconscious level through a display of raw power and vulnerability. This recalls the animalistic nature of us all, where these symbols recur again and again in the human experience.