Dr. Olivier Pagan (Director, Zoo Basel) in Conversation with Ulf Küster (Exhibition Curator, Fondation Beyeler).
Exhibition curator Ulf Küster talks to the director of Basel Zoo, Olivier Pagan, about Henri Rousseau’s work “Le lion, ayant faim, se jette sur l’antilope” (“The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope”).
Henri Rousseau’s large oil painting “The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope” is the center piece of the exhibition “The Lion is Hungry” at Fondation Beyeler in Riehen (Basel, Switzerland) (10.10.2020-7.2.2021). The show presents highlights of the collection of the museum such as works by Matisse, Kandinsky, Klee, Cézanne, and Hopper.
Henri Rousseau’s The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope is a striking oil painting completed in 1905, showcasing his unique style as a self-taught artist often associated with the Naïve or Primitive art movement. This work measures 200 cm × 301 cm (approximately 6.5 × 10 feet) and is housed in the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland.
The painting depicts a dramatic jungle scene where a lion, with a fierce expression, leaps onto an antelope, its claws digging into the prey’s back as blood drips from the wound. The lush, fantastical jungle backdrop is filled with oversized leaves, twisted vines, and vibrant colors, creating a dreamlike yet intense atmosphere. Other animals, including a panther, birds, and possibly a hidden figure, peer through the foliage, adding to the sense of wild, untamed nature. Rousseau’s flattened perspective and meticulous attention to detail—every leaf and blade of grass is carefully rendered—give the work a surreal, almost childlike quality, despite its violent subject matter.
Rousseau exhibited this painting at the 1905 Salon d’Automne in Paris, where it caught the attention of the avant-garde art community. The title is drawn from the exhibition catalog, though some debate surrounds its full phrasing. Critics and artists like Pablo Picasso admired Rousseau’s unorthodox approach, which defied academic conventions of the time. The work is often interpreted as a metaphor for the brutality of nature or survival of the fittest, though Rousseau himself offered little explanation, leaving it open to interpretation.
Interestingly, Rousseau never left France or saw a real jungle; his inspiration came from Paris’s botanical gardens, zoos, and illustrated books. This painting is a testament to his imaginative power and ability to create vivid, otherworldly scenes from limited firsthand experience. It remains one of his most famous works, embodying his signature blend of innocence and ferocity.
The Lion is Hungry / Presentation of the Collection, Fondation Beyeler, Dr. Olivier Pagan (Director, Zoo Basel) in Conversation with Ulf Küster (Exhibition Curator, Fondation Beyeler), October 21, 2020.
