The story behind the photograph
The Lion Monument in Lucerne, Switzerland, is a colossal rock relief of a dying lion carved into a sandstone cliff to honor the Swiss Guards who died defending the Tuileries Palace in 1792. I was privileged to visit in April of 2026 and it's just a stunning site. The scale is not well captured in this shot, I encourage you to research it and learn more.”
Greater Love Hath No Man · John 15:13 · On the photograph
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”
In Tom Bartel's words
“The Lion Monument in Lucerne, Switzerland, is a colossal rock relief of a dying lion carved into a sandstone cliff to honor the Swiss Guards who died defending the Tuileries…”
Read the story →
From the photograph Stone Sorrow by Tom Bartel, Colorado · View the original →
Format
Crisp detail on archival fine-art paper, set behind glazing in a gallery frame.
Size
Holds a wall on its own, over a console or desk
21.5″ × 31.5″ on the wall, with the frame
Good detail. Made to be seen from a step or two back, as a piece this size usually is.
Above 24″, printed from an enlarged file
The piece was developed in our studio using digital and AI tools, and the same tools enlarged it for large-format printing. At these sizes fine detail is interpreted rather than photographed.
Frame: Black
- Printed to order and with you in about 5 to 10 business days.
- $33 shipping within the United States.
- Damaged in transit? We replace it free, within 30 days.
- Each piece is printed for you, so we can’t take back an undamaged one.
A monumental lion carved in relief from sandstone, dying with the shaft of a broken spear in his flank, one paw resting over a shield bearing a fleur-de-lis. Soft daylight falls from above and across the rock face, catching the ridges of the mane and the tendons of the forepaw while the recess behind the head drops away into near darkness. Rendered in black and white, the image holds to the grain and weathering of the stone itself.
Why these words
The carved lion dies with its paw still over the fleur-de-lis shield and the broken spear in its flank, an image of loyalty held to the last; the verse names exactly that act without needing to narrate it.
The photograph that inspired this piece
It begins with an original photograph by Tom Bartel of a real place. This version was developed from that photograph in our studio, using digital and AI tools guided by the original’s own composition, and these words set over the finished picture. How these are made.
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