Who painted The Lion Pardons Reynard before the Other Animals?

The Lion Pardons Reynard before the Other Animals was painted by Allart van Everdingen in 1650.

Where can I see The Lion Pardons Reynard before the Other Animals?

The Lion Pardons Reynard before the Other Animals is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Lion Pardons Reynard before the Other Animals?

The Lion Pardons Reynard before the Other Animals is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

The Lion Pardons Reynard before the Other Animals

Allart van Everdingen , 1650

The Lion Pardons Reynard before the Other Animals 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

The composition is rendered entirely in black line work, creating a lively tableau of animal figures within a wooded setting.

Around 1650, Dutch artist Jan Everdingen produced an etching titled *The Lion Pardons Reynard before the Other Animals*. The print captures a moment from the medieval fable cycle surrounding Reynard the Fox, placing a dominant lion at the center of a forest gathering of various creatures. The composition is rendered entirely in black line work, creating a lively tableau of animal figures within a wooded setting.

Subject & Meaning

The scene illustrates a narrative episode in which the lion, acting as a judge, grants clemency to Reynard, the cunning fox, before an assembly of forest animals. The surrounding rabbits, deer, birds and other small beasts look up toward the lion, emphasizing his authority and the moral tension between justice and mercy that underpins the Reynard legend.

Technique & Style

Everdingen employed the etching process, incising the image onto a copper plate with a needle and acid. The resulting black lines vary in thickness, allowing the artist to suggest depth, foliage, and the texture of fur and feathers without any tonal shading. This linear approach creates a sense of movement among the figures while maintaining a clear, readable composition.

History & Provenance

Jan Everdingen, active during the Dutch Golden Age, was known for both etchings and mezzotints. This particular work, dated circa 1650, reflects the period’s interest in literary subjects and animal allegories. The print has circulated among collectors of early modern Dutch prints and appears in several catalogues of Everdingen’s oeuvre, confirming its attribution and dating.

Artist & collection

Artist

Allart van Everdingen

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.