Cattle in the Auvergne

1867

Rosa Bonheur

Associated Names
Rosa Bonheur

Artist, French, 1822 - 1899

The image shows a group of cattle on rugged terrain, with a view looking downward from a small elevation. In the background, there are dark hills or mountains, sparse trees, and dramatic clouds in the sky. The scene is depicted with smooth and meticulous brushstrokes, capturing details in the landscape and the cattle. The color palette is mainly earthy browns and ochres, creating a sepia-toned look that emphasizes the natural elements and the animals against the sky.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    black and white chalk with stumping and touches of pastel on brown wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    overall: 25.91 × 20.4 cm (10 3/16 × 8 1/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2017.40.1

More About this Artwork

In this black and white photograph, a woman wearing a black dress leans toward an arched mirror set into a wall, so we see the woman twice in this double portrait. We are situated slightly below her so we look up at the woman, who gazes down and to our right. The surface of the wall is smooth but lightly textured, like adobe. Trees reflected in the mirror indicate that this is outdoors. The woman in front of us takes up the left half of the composition. She faces our right in profile and leans to our right, at the far edge of the mirror. Her dark hair is pulled up in ribbon entwined braids. She wears long, chandelier style earrings and her high-necked black dress has puffed, lace sleeves. We see her face straight on in the mirror’s reflection. The woman’s distinctive brows knit together over her rounded nose.

Article:  15 LGBTQ+ Artists to Know

Discover the lives of 15 LGBTQ+ artists and their art, much of which you can see at the National Gallery.

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Galerie Hainemann, Munich). W. Clark Symington, Newark, NJ [acquired in Switzerland in 1925]; gift to Newark Museum, 1952 (inv. 52.42); (sale, Christie's New York, 24 January 2017, no. 114); purchased (via Nicholas Schwed, Paris) by NGA, 2017.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

lower left in black chalk: Rosa Bonheur 67

Wikidata ID

Q64629739

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