Panther 

Eugène Delacroix made this print of a panther using etching, a printmaking technique that uses acid to corrode the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design. Delacroix was a leading figure in the Romantic movement in 19th-century France. Romanticism in art emphasized emotion and individualism, as well as celebrating nature. Looking at this image, we can see how it captures the drama of the natural world, and the importance of understanding animals as individuals. During this period, the rise of scientific interest in the natural world, and the expansion of the French colonial empire, meant there was a growing fascination with exotic animals like panthers. Delacroix himself visited North Africa, an experience that influenced his artistic vision. Art historians use archival research to understand the cultural context of this etching, and consider the complex ways that colonialism shaped artists' perspectives.