Daniel in the Lions’ Den, Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1650
pen and brown ink, with brown wash and opaque white (oxidized), h 222mm × w 184mm Catalogue entry
Daniel was awarded a high court position by the Babylonian king Darius. His envious enemies devised a ruse to have Daniel thrown to the lions; however, the wild creatures left the praying Daniel unharmed. It is clear that Rembrandt had already actually seen and drawn real lions. The little figure all the way at the top is Darius, evidently relieved to find Daniel still alive.
