Artwork
The Bear Beseeches the Lion for Justice
The Bear Beseeches the Lion for Justice is an ink print by the Baroque artist Allart van Everdingen. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Allart van Everdingen, a Dutch artist active in the mid‑17th century, produced the etching *The Bear Beseeches the Lion for Justice* around 1650.
Allart van Everdingen, a Dutch artist active in the mid‑17th century, produced the etching *The Bear Beseeches the Lion for Justice* around 1650. Executed on a copper plate, the print presents a compact, allegorical tableau in which a bear implores a lion seated on a rocky ledge. The composition reflects the period’s interest in moralizing animal symbolism within the broader flourishing of Dutch graphic arts.
Subject & Meaning
The image juxtaposes a standing bear, its fore‑paws lifted in a gesture of supplication, against a lion that gazes down with a composed expression. The bear’s plea to the lion evokes traditional European allegories in which predatory beasts represent authority and justice, suggesting a narrative of the powerless seeking fairness from a dominant ruler.
Technique & Style
Van Everdingen employed the etching process, incising fine lines into a metal plate before acid biting and printing on paper. The work is distinguished by tightly wound, swirling strokes that render foliage and fur with a tactile quality. The delicate line work creates a sense of movement and texture, giving the animals a near‑lifelike presence within a restrained, monochrome palette.
History & Provenance
Created during the Dutch Golden Age, the print aligns with van Everdingen’s broader output of etchings and mezzotints that catered to a growing market for affordable artworks. While specific ownership records are sparse, the piece has been catalogued in several 19th‑century collections of Dutch prints, confirming its circulation among connoisseurs of the period’s graphic repertoire.
Artist & collection
Artist
Allaert van Everdingen (Dutch pronunciation: ; bapt. 18 June 1621 – 8 November 1675 (buried)), was a Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker in etching and mezzotint.
