Lion, after the Antique 1893

Curator: Robert David Gauley gives us "Lion, after the Antique" in this rather diminutive graphite work. Editor: It has a certain stillness; the lion seems to slumber, almost dissolving into the paper’s very texture. Curator: Note how Gauley employs hatching to create volume and shadow, focusing our eye on the subtle gradations of form. The work speaks of idealized strength, echoing classical sculpture. Editor: The choice of subject implies a colonial era obsession with power, taming nature through art—a cultural symbol repurposed to reinforce dominance. Curator: Yet the softness of the graphite mitigates any overtly aggressive reading, doesn't it? The material itself seems to invite contemplation, not conquest. Editor: Perhaps. But the lion, even in repose, remains a potent signifier. This drawing, I suspect, tells a deeper story about representation and control. Curator: A fascinating point. I'm struck by how such simple means can generate such complex associations.