Text via Sotheby’s:
As part of Masters Week, the lion’s long reign-from Rembrandt to Pride Rock-comes back into focus, carried by the unmistakable voice of Jeremy Irons.
From the first marks etched onto cave walls to the icons of modern cinema, no creature has carried more symbolic weight. Strength, sovereignty, divine protection-across cultures and centuries, the lion has stood in for power itself. That lineage moves from ancient empires to the Renaissance and into our shared imagination today.
In Young Lion Resting, Rembrandt van Rijn strips the symbol bare. Drawn from life in the late 1630s, the lion is no longer an emblem or a myth, but a living presence-alert, contemplative, and profoundly dignified.
Coming to live auction at Sotheby’s New York on 4 February at 2:00 PM EST, this once-in-a-generation master drawing carries its power forward with purpose, as proceeds will benefit Panthera, helping ensure that the kings of the wild endure beyond the page.
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