James Lewin, Bob Jr. Serengeti, Tanzania, 2021

23 x 18 in - Ed of 8
36 x 28 in - Ed of 8

In Bob Jr., Serengeti, Tanzania (2021), James Lewin captures one of Africa’s most iconic lions in a moment of unguarded majesty. Known to many as the “King of the Serengeti,” Bob Jr. became a symbol of power, poise, and pride before his passing in 2023 — and in Lewin’s portrait, his mythic presence is immortalized with rare intimacy.

The photograph is both arresting and reverential. Centered in the frame, the lion walks directly toward the viewer, mane billowing like a crown of wind and sun. His gaze — unwavering and intelligent — bridges the primal and the divine. Every line of his face tells a story: of battles fought, territories claimed, and a kingdom held through sheer force of will.

Lewin’s use of black and white heightens the drama and removes the distractions of the savannah’s color, allowing light and texture to speak in their purest forms. The tonal gradations in the mane, from shadowed depths to luminous highlights, give the image sculptural weight — the lion appears almost carved from the earth itself. The photographer’s eye finds equilibrium between ferocity and grace, evoking the same balance of beauty and strength that defines nature’s most regal creatures.

Beyond its visual command, the image resonates with quiet pathos. Bob Jr. is portrayed not as a myth, but as a sentient being — fierce yet mortal, sovereign yet subject to time. His direct stare becomes a mirror: a reminder of nature’s raw authority and the fragility that underpins it.

Lewin’s portrait belongs to a long tradition of wildlife photography that elevates its subjects from mere documentation to spiritual archetype. Like his images of elephants and other great beasts, Bob Jr. is both a celebration and a eulogy — an homage to an animal who ruled his realm with dignity, and whose story now endures in light and shadow.

With this work, Lewin reminds us that the wild is not just a place, but a legacy — one that demands both reverence and responsibility. Bob Jr. stands eternal: a lion rendered in his full truth, and through Lewin’s lens, a timeless emblem of majesty, resilience, and soul.