Lion's Head and Sketch of a Lion
Edmé Saint-Marcel
c. 1860-70
Medium
Charcoal and graphite, with stumping, and red chalk with touches of white chalk, on brown wove paper
Dimensions
25.2 × 29.5 cm (9 15/16 × 11 5/8 in.)
Classification
chalk
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
95849
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The resting head of this sizable lion and the inset detail of his full body suggest that the artist was sketching from life. The rich textures of the chalk highlights and the overall detail reveal that the sleeping pose was no accident, and that the drawing was in fact made in the only moment the animal remained still enough to be captured on paper.