The Lion

Towards the end of the nineteenth century Frans Verhas, like his brother Jan, was widely known as a painter of middle-class scenes. His painting The Lion shows his penchant for anecdotal and narrative art. A girl is seeking protection from her mother, having been frightened by her brother who wears a decorative lion’s head and has suddenly brought the animal…

Towards the end of the nineteenth century Frans Verhas, like his brother Jan, was widely known as a painter of middle-class scenes. His painting The Lion shows his penchant for anecdotal and narrative art. A girl is seeking protection from her mother, having been frightened by her brother who wears a decorative lion’s head and has suddenly brought the animal to life. The scene is set in a middle-class interior with lavishly excessive decoration. Verhas’ focus on the moving light and the rendering of the fabric of the woman’s dress are reminiscent of the work of Alfred Stevens, who at the time was enjoying great international popularity.