The artwork is directly inspired by Victor Hugo’s 1827 poem La Douleur du Pacha (The Pasha’s Grief). The poem explores the unexpected grief of a powerful and ruthless warlord, questioning why he could possibly be weeping. It rules out the obvious explanations—defeat in battle or even the haunting of ghosts—before revealing the simple and poignant truth: his beloved tiger has died.

Jean-Léon Gérôme, The Grief of the Pasha ,1885