Lion, Cornelis Saftleven, c. 1626

brush, h 215mm × w 286mm More details

Cornelis Saftleven began drawing animals from life only at a late age. Before then, he had relied on depictions by other artists, such as the animals in paintings by Roelant Savery. The lion in this drawing also seems to have been taken from such an example. The animal’s pose looks unnatural and its head more closely resembles that of a dog.