This striking, bronze sculpture “A Lion Attacking a Horse” from the Frick Collection was likely created between 1630 and 1640 by Italian artist Giovanni Francesco Susini. The first thing I noticed when I saw the sculpture was the size of it: it is actually quite small. Lions are meant to be these large, powerful creatures, yet Susini chose to reduce the scale of his work. Moreover, the smaller size of this sculpture does not minimize the power exerted by the lion. For instance, Susini put a great deal of effort into the grip of the lion on the horse’s body. There are distinct marks on the body of the horse near the lion’s front legs and mouth, showing the intensity to which the lion is attacking the horse. Also, the lion seemingly has one of its back legs gripping the horse’s tail. Even though it is unrealistic that a lion could grab hold of a tail, I think Susini wanted to depict that the horse had been truly overpowered and would not be escaping the lion. Although this assignment is about the mimesis of a lion, the most powerful aspect of the sculpture is the facial expression of the horse, which truly encompasses the fear and pain that would be experienced in reality. Additionally, there is a certain elegance about the piece’s smooth texture and rounded structure, perhaps exemplifying that nature can be simultaneously gruesome and beautiful.