Tiger and its cubs - Jean
- Original dimensions
- 91.4 x 73.7 cm
- Museum
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Year
- 1884
Scene depicted
This painting , dazzling in its representation, reveals a mother tigress watching over her cubs in the soft light of dusk. Each brushstroke, vibrant with life, transports the viewer to the heart of a wild nature, a fascinating universe where maternal tenderness coexists with the power of a predator. The tigress's gaze, firm and protective, weaves a tapestry of emotions between softness and instinct.
Historical context
This painting , created in 1884, is set against the historical backdrop of the late 19th century, a period marked by realism and the academic movement in the field of art. Jean-Léon Gérôme , a pioneer of this movement, managed to capture the essence of animal life with remarkable attention. The painting is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and its precise dimensions of 91.4 x 73.7 cm make it a masterpiece to admire up close.
Place in the artist's career
Tiger and its Cubs stands as a highlight in Gérôme's career. This masterpiece is situated at a time when he excels in the realistic representation of animals, while merging with other works like The Slave Market and Daydream , revealing a maturation of his technique and an increased depth of emotion.
Anecdote
“Art must not only reproduce but evoke,” Gérôme might have declared one spring morning on the banks of the Nile, from where he draws inspiration. A sweet scent of flowers and the song of birds would have infused this expressive force, this vitality at the heart of the painting . Thus was born the passion for his emblematic work Tiger and its Cubs .