Eugène Fromentin

Fromentin traveled to French-occupied Algeria for extended periods in the 1840s and 50s and drew upon his experiences and the sketches he produced there throughout his career. The paintings resulting from these trips established his reputation as a specialist in North African subjects.
This scene of men hunting in mountainous terrain where they are surprised by a lion relates to a painting dated 1868 by the artist (see Thompson and Wright 1987, 235). The painting measures 138.4 x 99.7 cm. An oil sketch measuring 109.5 x 73 cm was sold in 1986 (Thompson and Wright 1987, 237). The oil sketch has roughly the same dimensions as the present drawing, and the compositions correspond closely. The rider in the foreground has fallen along with his startled horse and raises his pistol to fire at the charging lion. A mounted and armed figure is seen at far left. Curiously, the drawing lacks the form of the lion, which is lightly sketched at left but not clearly delineated. Fromentin would rework some elements and eliminate the man on foot who restrains the horse at right and renders the fallen rider apart from his horse, flat on his back as a female lion attacks the horse's head. The rider at left would be omitted, with a pair of mounted riders seen in the distance rushing to the scene. Other large-scale drawings for individual elements in the painting are known. One depicts a male lion as indicated in the oil sketch and present drawing, with a secondary sketch revealing Fromentin's decision to depict a lioness.
The painting, a rare depiction of dramatic action by the artist, was shown at the Salon of 1868, where it was considered a success, capitalizing on a taste for violent scenes fostered by Horace Vernet.