An Athlete Stopping a Lion 1737

This 1737 etching by Anne Claude Philippe Caylus, known as "An Athlete Stopping a Lion", is a reproduction of a sculpture by Edme Bouchardon. The image depicts a muscular athlete with a lion, set within an oval frame. Caylus, a renowned collector, produced numerous prints of works by celebrated artists like Bouchardon, thus contributing to the dissemination of art through printmaking. The etching's title "Un Athlete, Arrêtant un Lion", which translates to "An Athlete Stopping a Lion" and the inscription "Grouppe de Sculpture, invente par Edme Bouchardon" suggest the print's purpose - to document and disseminate Bouchardon's sculptural work. The print is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.