Dying Lion (Wounded Lioness)
by Ancient Assyrian (Unknown), -645
Artwork Details
Details
- Year
- -645
- Medium
- Gypsum alabaster relief
- Size
- 60 cm × 139 cm (24 × 55 in)
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Known as the Dying Lioness or Wounded Lion, this gypsum relief shows a mortally wounded lion dragging her paralyzed hindquarters, blood streaming from her wounds. Created around 645 BCE for the North Palace at Nineveh, it's considered one of the most emotionally powerful images from the ancient world.
The Assyrian sculptors depicted human figures in formal, idealized poses. But their portrayal of animals showed genuine observation and empathy. This lioness, struck by three arrows, still roars defiantly despite her fatal wounds. The contrast between her powerful forequarters and useless hind legs creates unbearable pathos. Art historians consider this relief among the greatest depictions of animal suffering in all of art history. The British Museum displays it as part of the larger Lion Hunt sequence.
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About Dying Lion (Wounded Lioness)
The relief shows unprecedented emotional depth for ancient art. While Assyrian sculptors portrayed humans formally, they depicted animals with genuine empathy. The lioness's suffering is rendered with heartbreaking realism.
The relief was carved around 645 BCE for King Ashurbanipal's North Palace at Nineveh. It was excavated by British archaeologist Austen Henry Layard in the 1850s.
Assyrian but their portrayal of animals showed genuine observation and empathy. This lioness, struck by three arrows, still roars defiantly despite her fatal wounds.
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