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Exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1836. The subject, which concerns the power of love over wisdom, is taken from Jean de La Fontaine’s 'Fables' (IV, i). A noble lion, having fallen in love with a shepherdess, foolishly agrees to her father’s request to have his teeth and claws clipped so that he might not injure her. But when this is done the dogs will be set on him. The subject inevitably recalls the biblical story of Samson and Delilah, although it is Roqueplan rather than La Fontaine who is responsible for the representation of the shepherdess as a femme fatale. In his fable La Fontaine does not state who cut the lion’s teeth and claws.

The Wallace Collection

London

Title

The Lion in Love

Date

1836

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 195.5 x W 153 cm

Accession number

P285

Acquisition method

acquired by Richard Seymour-Conway, 4th Marquess of Hertford, 1853; bequeathed to the nation by Lady Wallace, 1897

Work type

Painting

The Wallace Collection

Hertford House, Manchester Square, London, Greater London W1U 3BN England

This venue is open to the public. Not all artworks are on display. If you want to see a particular artwork, please contact the venue.

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Artist or maker

Camille Joseph Étienne Roqueplan

1800–1855

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