Isaac Van Amburgh (1805–1865) was an American lion tamer who was popular on the London stage. Queen Victoria attended his show no less than six times in 1838, staying afterward on one occasion to witness the feeding of the beasts. This portrait was commissioned by the Duke of Wellington (who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo). When the duke commissioned the painting, he pointed out a passage in the bible (Book of Genesis) in which God grants humankind domination over other creatures. The duke specified that the passage be somehow inscribed on the work. Landseer would later comment that the painting was his own “sacred subject on that account.” The portrait recalls traditional depictions of Daniel in the Lion’s den, but while Victorian viewers of the painting may have been impressed by Van Amburgh’s bravery, audiences today are likely more ambivalent at the captivity of the caged animals.
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