lioness with flaming red, white and blue darts in her back and shoulders, and with a bleeding wound in her belly; cracked stacked tower behind lionness; orange and yellow flames in background and smoke at top

%C2%A9 Estate of Luis A. Jimenez%2C Jr. %2F Artists Rights Society %28ARS%29%2C New York

Assyrian Lion, 2004

Color lithographexpand_more

The Richard Lewis Hillstrom Fundexpand_more  2011.76.1

Not on Viewexpand_more

Jimenez deeply resented war and its devastating effects on human lives and cultures. In Assyrian Lion, Jimenez presents a harsh critique of the United States' military invasion of Iraq. The iconic Babylonian lion, a symbol of the Middle East's rich heritage, slowly dies of her wounds from American missiles. In the background, a ziggurat, perhaps the legendary Tower of Babel, topples into the bloody inferno. Similar to José Clemente Orozco's prints of the Mexican Revolution Jimenez depicts the bitter, lasting wounds of war, rather than its heroic moments or romanticized justifications. While Jimenez typically focused on issues of oppression in the US, his concern for human rights, dignity, and for the preservation of cultural heritage was universal.

Details
Title
Assyrian Lion
Artist Life
1940–2006
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2011.76.1
Provenance
Lawrence Lithography Workshop, Kansas City, Missouri (publisher); sold to MIA, 2011
Curator Approved

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lioness with flaming red, white and blue darts in her back and shoulders, and with a bleeding wound in her belly; cracked stacked tower behind lionness; orange and yellow flames in background and smoke at top

© Estate of Luis A. Jimenez, Jr. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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