Daniel in the Lions' Den

Daniel in the Lions' Den (c. 1614-16) at the National Gallery of Art in Washington is one of Rubens's most dramatically composed biblical narratives — the prophet surrounded by lions that God has miraculously restrained from attacking him, the scene combining human vulnerability with supernatural protection in a tension that the Baroque style was uniquely equipped to express. Rubens's lions are among the most naturalistically observed in European painting: he had access to live specimens in the menageries maintained by aristocratic patrons and studied them with the systematic attention he brought to all anatomical subjects. The lions in this canvas are not heraldic symbols or classical types but physically convincing animals whose restraint — in the presence of what should be their prey — makes visible the miraculous divine intervention that the narrative describes. The NGA's Washington holding represents this dramatic early work in the American national collection where it has been a centerpiece of Baroque exhibition since its acquisition. The painting was among the most widely admired Rubens works when it appeared on the market in the nineteenth century.

The composition surrounds the calmly praying Daniel with a circle of magnificently painted lions, each individualized with different poses and expressions. The contrast between Daniel's serene faith and the restless power of the lions creates compelling dramatic tension.

This version of Daniel in the Lions' Den has been conserved over the centuries. The canvas has been relined. The dramatic lighting effects, essential to the narrative of divine intervention, have been preserved. Some of the darker areas have lost transparency where bitumen-based pigments have degraded.