Théodore Géricault (French, 1791-1824), Lithograph , Lion Devouring a Horse, 1823. 24.8 × 34.4 cm. Provenance: From Walter Pach family directly to the current owner. Lion to left, half-seated, eats, resting a paw on the shoulder of the dead horse, lying to right; rocky backdrop; from a series. Bio: Théodore Géricault created one of the most iconic masterpieces of French Romanticism, the Raft of the Medusa (1818-19). Depicted on a monumental scale, Géricault portrayed in horrifying explicitness scenes of a wreck based on a contemporary event in which the captain had deserted his crew and passengers, leaving them to die. The painting’s allusions to governmental negligence and corruption ignited great controversy and brought Géricault widespread attention. Although he died young, his candid representations and bold style influenced many of his contemporaries, including Eugène Delacroix, who served as one of the models for the Raft of the Medusa.