Lion with Cubs 1831

Curator: This lithograph, entitled "Lion with Cubs," was completed in 1831 by Johann Höchle, whose prints are known for their almost photographic detail. Editor: My first impression is how striking and tender the scene is, even though it's rendered with just pencil on paper. The lioness’s protective gaze really draws me in. Curator: It is amazing how Höchle evokes those emotions using lithography, a printmaking process dependent on the chemical repulsion of oil and water. He would have drawn on a stone matrix, treating parts with an oily substance and applying ink that adhered only to those treated areas, then transferred the image to paper. The subtle gradations of tone demonstrate how carefully the process was controlled. Editor: Indeed. I notice the symbols – the lioness, of course, is a long-established emblem of power, strength, and royalty, but here, combined with her cubs, it takes on new meanings of protection and nurture, a timeless symbol of motherhood. Curator: Absolutely. It is not lost on me that a print, by its nature reproducible and relatively inexpensive, has the capacity to disseminate such potent symbols widely. What impact might such an image have on a populace? Also consider the role of paper here – a relatively new and industrialized product in the 19th century - it becomes a conduit for knowledge and for influencing sentiments. Editor: Perhaps the ubiquity of that symbol reduces the power. Then again, the tenderness is interesting—not the snarling beast of myth, but a familial portrait. That contrast is particularly thought-provoking. One can consider that tension. Curator: That reading really enriches my understanding of the cultural forces at play during the 19th century, especially with regard to how this lioness image navigates familiar symbolographies. Editor: Agreed. There’s a complex web of meaning in what seems, on the surface, to be a simple portrait.