19th Century British School, Una and the Lion, Oil on panel, framed

19th Century British School

Una and the Lion

Oil on panel, framed

Titled verso

12" x 17" actual, 17 3/4" x 22 3/4" framed

Provenance: Private Collection California

The legend of Una and the Lion comes from the epic poem The Faerie Queene by 16th century English poet Edmund Spenser. Una’s tale tells of a young woman who embarks on a quest to free her parents from a dragon. In her travels, she encounters a lion who intends to eat her. However, the lion is so impressed with her purity and beauty that he vows instead to accompany and protect her. The Faerie Queene is in many ways an allegory for the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and it is one of the longest poems in the English language.