A Man Trapped between a Lion and a Serpent
1790s
Medium
pen and brown ink with gray wash on laid paper, laid down on an old mount
Dimensions
sheet: 22.7 × 18.9 cm (8 15/16 × 7 7/16 in.) mount: 40.7 × 33.8 cm (16 × 13 5/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Joseph F. McCrindle Endowment Fund
Accession Number
2018.60.1
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Created in the 1790s by British artist Richard Cosway, *A Man Trapped between a Lion and a Serpent* captures a moment of intense drama through delicate pen and brown ink with gray wash. Cosway, celebrated for his elegant portrait miniatures of Regency society, here demonstrates his skill in a more expressive medium. The sheet’s compact size invites close viewing, allowing the fine lines and subtle tonal washes to convey movement and emotion with remarkable economy. The subject presents a man caught in mortal danger, flanked by a roaring lion and a coiling serpent. Such allegorical scenes were popular in the late eighteenth century, often symbolizing inner conflict, temptation, or the trials of virtue. Cosway’s fluid draftsmanship heightens the psychological tension, using the contrast of ink strokes and wash to define both the figures and the surrounding void. Acquired through the Joseph F. McCrindle Endowment Fund, this drawing now resides in the National Gallery of Art’s collection of works on paper. It offers visitors a rare glimpse of Cosway’s inventive range beyond his famous miniatures.
About the Artist
Richard Cosway · 1742–1821
The most fashionable miniaturist of his day, Cosway was known for his elegant portraits. His large-scale portraits are considered less successful. He was friends with the Prince of Wales (later Prince Regent). Comment on works: religious, Portraits, mythology, miniatures