Painting from Beauty & Beast series, Lea Fuchs, 100×100 cm,  Mixed on canvas, 2012

For thousands of years, felines were spiritual and cultural symbols for mankind that were worshipped and feared. Prehistorically, religions considered giant

carnivores as a preferential messenger to another world. The wild cats have been regarded by humans with awe. Lions and leopards appeared in

European cave art as old as 30.000 years ago.

https://www.france-voyage.com/tourism/ photos-chauvet-pont-arc-cave-2095.htm

Several examples, although at spatial and temporal distances, show a real connection.  Already in the Paleolithic era we can find all the semantic fields

connected  to the wild cats in all following cultures – particularly these are:

• Dualistic ambiguity (male-female syncretism)
• Dead-rebirth & sexuality