Ernest Griset 1843-1907. 19th.Century French School. Impressive study of a sleeping Nubian Lion, Watercolour and crayon drawing, Signed lower left, 32.5 by 69.5 cms image. 54 by 89.3 cms overall framed. Preparatory study for the Lithograph.
Born in France, Griset moved to England with his parents in 1848. Studying for a while under the Belgian artist Louis Gallait. Known chiefly for his studies of animals and illustrative work Griset regularly made studies from the animals at London Zoo. He became known particularly for his humorous and satirical designs, which were best displayed in his two Christmas books, Griset’s Grotesques, or Jokes Drawn on Wood (1867). Many examples of Griset's work are held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The Nubian or Barbary Lion was a population of the lion subspecies Panthera Leo Leo also called the North African Lion, Atlas Lion and Egyptian Lion. The largest of all Lions It lived in the mountains and deserts of the Maghera of North Africa from Morocco to Egypt, it is now extinct in the wild.