Delacroix had great empathy with the natural world and was fascinated by animals, although he never encountered them in the wild. He frequently visited the Paris zoo in preparation for his carefully observed studies of wild animals – particularly lions, tiger, and jaguars. In this lithograph, Delacroix represents the savage strength of a lone Bengal tiger lying in the heat of an imagined South Asian wilderness. Delacroix and other Romantic artists were drawn to images of animals and their ability to capture tragedy, violence, unpredictability, and a world untouched by human civilization.