The Old Testament prophet Daniel, a Hebrew, was chief counselor to the Persian king Darius. His position aroused the envy of the other royal ministers, who conspired against the him. They passed a law that anyone who prayed to any God but the King, would be sentenced to death. Of course, Daniel would not convert, so the king had to condemn him and send him to the den of lions. The following dawn Darius, anxious about his friend, had the stone that sealed the entrance rolled away. There he found Daniel, who was miraculously without a scratch, giving thanks to his God. At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
Rubens used as his models a Moroccan subspecies of lions, which were kept in the then Spanish governor’s menagerie in Brussels. Rubens made copious sketches of the movements of the beast before he painted. In this painting the lions are life size (the painting is huge). This creates the illusion that you are in the cave with them. The bones on the floor and the fact that several of these lions stare directly at the viewer creates the feeling that you share Daniel’s danger.
To see original: https://bit.ly/2TyYlHA