▁And ▁although ▁it ▁seems ▁that ▁the ▁painting ▁insp iration ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁vis its ▁to ▁the ▁J ardin ▁des ▁Pl antes ▁zoo ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁t ig ers ▁play ▁with ▁his ▁friend ▁Antoine - Louis ▁B ary e ▁( an ▁animal ▁sculpt or ), ▁Del aro ix ▁was ▁always ▁more ▁content ▁to ▁observe ▁his ▁own ▁cat . ▁ ▁The ▁piece ▁was ▁in ▁some ▁way ▁influenced ▁by ▁Rub ens ▁and ▁is ▁very ▁opposite ▁of ▁Del ac ro ix ' s ▁violent ▁T iger ▁H unt , ▁both ▁( and ▁others ▁Del ac ro ix ▁painting ▁in ▁this ▁subject ) ▁capt uring ▁the ▁fer ocity ▁and ▁tend ern ess ▁that ▁these ▁animals ▁are ▁capable ▁of . ▁Del ac ro ix ▁could ▁paint ▁two ▁different ▁works ▁that ▁shows ▁a ▁dis cre p ancy ▁of ▁the ▁t ig ers ▁behavior . ▁In ▁fact , ▁t iger ▁cub s ▁play ▁in ▁their ▁first ▁years ▁of ▁life ▁because ▁it ▁prepar es ▁them ▁for ▁hunting , ▁st alk ing , ▁clim bing ▁and ▁fighting ▁in ▁the ▁grown ▁phase . ▁Tig ers ▁and ▁great ▁c ats ▁are ▁frequent ▁mot ifs ▁in ▁Eug ène ' s ▁works ▁( see ▁the ▁following ▁section ). ▁ ▁These ▁paint ings , ▁along ▁with ▁A ▁Young ▁T iger ▁Play ing ▁with ▁its ▁Mother , ▁can ▁be ▁interpreted ▁as ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁artist ▁displaying ▁human ▁emot ions ▁and ▁pass ions ▁person ified ▁as ▁t ame ▁and ▁fier ce ▁animals . ▁For ▁example , ▁Del ac ro ix ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁Journal ▁of ▁the