In this painting, two symbolic gestures of power, the dragon and the tiger stare each other down from a distance. There is a sense of tension as they face each other and each look ready to strike and the sky appears to be misty and unclear. The plants on the floor are being swept by wind, indicating an aura of power and the dragon's body is coiled, indicating that it is trying to hide its true size or power.  This is in contrast to the tiger who is looking up at it with its entire body exposed. 

While both are symbolic of power, they each represent different things. The tiger was known as the king of the animals, and the dragon was often associated with the Chinese emperor, later even being adopted as the mascot on the flag of the Qing dynasty. 

As such, the painting could be interpreted as conflict between man and nature, where man begins to encroach on the territory of the animals and the tiger is representative of their struggle against them. Just as wild animals would underestimate humans with their technology, the tiger in the painting is underestimating the dragon who is hiding his true power behind the clouds. 

From the collection of: The National Museum of Asian Art.