A Lion is not a Lion

The famous lion from Gripsholm castle in Sweden is possibly the worst piece of taxidermy that has miraculously survived the passing of time. The playful tongue, bright playful teddy bear eyes and the smiling herbivore teeth make this lion look more comical than Pixar could have. Together with some other animals and a ‘freed slave’ that became the animals keeper, the lion was a gift  to King Frederik I of Sweden in 1731.  Alike most makers that are heralded on this page, there is no doubt that an alive lion was still an unknown concept for this taxidermist. Also, it doesn’t help that the lion’s remains were only sent to the taxidermist a few years after it’s death.

Some theorize that the lion’s tongue is based upon the image of a heraldic lion. What is more fascinating to me is how the symbolics addressed to lions somehow went by unnoticed, instead the lion was imagined as a whole different animal that could be strong, innocent and loyal, alike a domesticated dog. An alternative theory is that the alcohol needed to clean the remains of the lion proved to be a bit too much for the poor taxidermist. 

There is not a whole lot of reliable history when it comes to the Gripsholm lion. However, as the lion is famous, there are plenty of cool websites that will tell you more about it.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-lion-of-gripsholm-castle-strangnas-sweden

http://www.ulrikagood.com/2011/04/lion-of-gripshoms-castle.html

Both images depict Saint Jerome as a hermit and are currently on display at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. On the left by Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano in the desert (1510-1520) and on the right by Giovanni Bellini in the countryside (1480). These locations are indicated by the contrasting backgrounds; flourishing greens for the desert and Bellini’s phantasmagorical city opposes the countryside. 

The biblical tale of St. Jerome and his tame lion offer a multitude of amazingly unrealistic lions of which these are two of the better looking ones. Despite their relative accuracy, these lions still sparked my interest. In these paintings, the docility of the tame lion that Saint Jerome owned  is not only exemplified by a calm pose (or the wonder struck awe of Bellini's lion) but even more by their size. Portraying the lion as a small and submissive animal next to Saint Jerome can only signify that he was much greater than a regular man. Which, in turn, can only make his lion much more than a regular lion. 

Sources:

https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/st-jerome-in-the-desert-928f704d-a885-43d6-8671-88163e9b4672

Daniël in the lion’s den, Willem van der Leeuw, after Peter Paul Rubens, 1613 - ca. 1665. 

lWeapon Shield; flanked by lions in the Rijksmuseum, made by Gover van der Leeuw, 1655 - 1688