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The sculpture is based on Aesop's tale about the King of the beasts claiming a farmer's handsome daughter. She coaxes the amorous King into having his nails clipped. Subdued and defenceless the King is quickly vanquished by the people.
The lion in love is among Geefs's most coveted models. The original marble is in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels, and smaller versions also exist.
The statue was presented in the Crystal Palace at The Great Exhibition of 1851, followed by successful appearances at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1855 and the Exposition Générale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels in 1857.
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