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Daniel in the Lion’s Den by Peter Paul Rubens depicts some real creative talent in the art of torture and murder.
The first question one asks when encountering this painting is “y tho?” And the answer to that very astute question is because Daniel was the favorite of King Darius I and all of the other noblemen were jealous. So they secretly passed a law stating that no one is allowed to worship anyone but the king, knowing how much Daniel loved Jesus. After finding out that Daniel still prayed to God and not him, the king was forced to make an example out of Daniel. So he threw him in into the lion’s den because there was definitely no other options in this situation.
Daniel spent a rather anxious night there, as you can see through his facial expression. He’s trying to make his body small by crossing his legs and holding his arms close to him while still praying, obviously. Meanwhile the lions, ten in all, are circling around him in an about-to-eat-you kind of way. There are human skulls and other miscellaneous bones on the ground suggesting that these lions are not exactly vegetarian. What this painting doesn’t show is what the king and his men found in the morning…
It was a perfectly fine Daniel! Minus the few years taken off of his life due to stress. They were all shocked that he wasn’t dead and asked how he survived. Daniel stated, “O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt." (Daniel 6:21–22) This was a huge relief to Darius because he never really wanted to throw his friend into a lion’s den. It was more of a power thing than a friendship thing. The moral of the story, if you haven’t figured it out, is that if you are loyal to God, he will protect you from harm, death or lions.
Sources
Sources
- "Daniel In The Lions' Den." Nga.gov. Web. 12 Feb. 2018.
- Richard, Paul. "Daniel In The Lion's Den." Washingtonpost.com. N.p., 2006. Web. 12 Feb. 2018.
- The Lions Of Peter Paul Rubens. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 2014. video.
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Here is what Wikipedia says about Daniel in the Lions' Den (Rubens)
Daniel in the Lions' Den is a painting from around 1615 by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens that is displayed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The painting depicts Daniel in the biblical story of Daniel in the lions' den. Daniel was a Jewish prophet who was thrown into a den of lions for defying a royal decree that prohibited praying to anyone but the king. Despite his dangerous predicament, Daniel miraculously survived, protected by his unwavering faith in God.
The painting was initially owned by Dudley Carleton, 1st Viscount Dorchester. It was later presented to King Charles I of England, who displayed it in the Bear Gallery at the Palace of Whitehall. Over the centuries, the painting changed hands multiple times, eventually becoming part of the Hamilton Palace collection before being sold to the National Gallery of Art in 1965.
Rubens' time in Italy profoundly influenced his artistic style, evident in the classical elements and lifelike representations in Daniel in the Lions' Den. The lions, painted life-size, contribute to the painting's dramatic impact, making viewers feel as if they are intruding upon the scene. The figure of Daniel, influenced by classical sculptures and Renaissance art, is depicted as a young man, even though the biblical account suggests he was much older.
Check out the full Wikipedia article about Daniel in the Lions' Den (Rubens)
