A Lion's Head (by Heywood Hardy) Playing Cards

This design features an image of a watercolor painting by British artist Heywood Hardy (1842–1933). It shows a close-up view of a lion looking straight at the viewer. The animal's eyes are piercing and its mane is thick and bushy; it is a beautiful creature. Technically, the lion (Panthera leo) is a species in the family Felidae and a member of the genus Panthera. Lions tend to live together in prides. Lions have also been known as the "king of the jungle", because they are apex predators, but they actually live on grassy plains and savannahs in Africa (and small parts of Asia). The Latin word for lion is "leo", and something can be said to be "leonine" if it looks or behaves like a lion. Heywood Hardy's original artwork was completed in 1878, and it is now housed in the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth, England.