Lioness Reclining 

"Lioness Reclining" is an oil on canvas artwork by Eugène Delacroix, a French Romantic painter of the 19th century. During this period, artists were fascinated by exotic lands and the animal kingdom. Delacroix himself travelled to North Africa, which influenced his artistic vision. This painting encapsulates Romanticism's emphasis on emotion and the sublime. A lone lioness, reclined in a dark landscape, stares to the distance. The gaze is piercing but it is also, perhaps, melancholic. Representations of animals often mirror societal attitudes towards race, gender and class. Consider how the lioness has been historically portrayed in art and literature. It is a powerful symbol of strength, and femininity. But it can also evoke the dangers and prejudices of the colonial era. How does Delacroix challenge or reinforce these stereotypes, and how does this artwork make you feel about the concept of female power?