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Lion

Peter Paul, Sir Rubens

1612

chalk

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Animal lion

Dominant colour

Lion is a 1612 chalk by Peter Paul, Sir Rubens, a Baroque work, depicting lion, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Peter Paul, Sir Rubens
When & what style?: 1612 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This drawing shows a lion’s head in profile. The artist used black chalk for most lines. Then he added white and yellow chalk to bring the face forward. Rubens drew this to practice textures. The yellow behind the lion looks like a quick wash. It’s not a study of a real lion—more like an exercise in light and shape. Check out Rubens’ paintings of big cats at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.