A Young Tiger Playing with its Mother

Delacroix's A Young Tiger Playing with its Mother of 1830 demonstrates his lifelong passion for large cats, regularly observed at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris where he made countless studies of lions, tigers, and leopards. The painting captures the playful physicality of the young tiger interacting with its mother with the precise observation of animal behavior that complemented his more turbulent dramatic treatments of lions attacking horses or fighting. Such intimate animal studies provided material for his larger compositions while existing as independent works of exceptional vitality.

Delacroix captures the tiger's muscular grace and striped pelt with bold, fluid brushstrokes and a warm palette of oranges and greens. The dynamic composition conveys the animals' energy and natural vitality.