Assyrian Lion

Luis Jimenez deeply resented war and its devastating effects on human lives and cultures. In Assyrian Lion, Jimenez presents a harsh critique of the United States' military invasion of Iraq. The iconic Babylonian lion, a symbol of the Middle East's rich heritage, slowly dies of her wounds from American missiles. In the background, a ziggurat, perhaps the legendary Tower of Babel, topples into the bloody inferno. Similar to José Clemente Orozco's prints of the Mexican Revolution Jimenez depicts the bitter, lasting wounds of war, rather than its heroic moments or romanticized justifications. While Jimenez typically focused on issues of oppression in the US, his concern for human rights, dignity, and for the preservation of cultural heritage was universal.