How are you?
On every Thursday, I am
introducing the stories about various artists and their paintings with the
title “Interesting Art Stories”.
The 23rd story for this week is “Ploughing
in the Nivernais” by a French artist Rosa Bonheur.
Rosa Bonheur (c. 1880)
“Ploughing
in the Nivernais” is a painting by a French artist Rosa Bonheur in 1849,
depicting twelve oxen ploughing the land in two groups of six. The painting is
said to be inspired by the opening scene of the 1846 novel "La Mare au
Diable” by a French female novelist George Sand.
An illustration of "La Mare au Diable", George Sand
George Sand
Rosa Bonheur was a French
artist, born on March 16, 1822, and died on May 25, 1899, who was primarily a
painter of animals, but also a sculptor, in a realist style.
Walking Bull, Bronze, Rosa Bonheur
The Nivernais, the area
around Nevers, was famous for its Charolais cattle, a French breed of taurine
beef cattle, and the Charolais cattle played an important role in the
agricultural revolution in the region in the 19th century.
Nivernais, France
Charolais cattle
In this painting,
farmers are ploughing the land on a sunny autumn day. However, the farmers are
playing a supporting role, while the oxen are playing a leading role. The
freshly-ploughed land in the foreground is prominent to the viewers, and the
landscape in the background is basking in sunlight.
The clarity and use of
light in this painting are similar to the Dutch paintings which Bonheur had
studied as part of her art education. One of the examples is Paulus Potter, a
Dutch painter who specializes in painting animals in the landscape.
Paulus Potter
The Young Bull, Paulus Potter (1647)
Mary Blume, who is a critic
of New York Times claimed that "Bonheur was the most famous female painter
of the 19th century and perhaps the most famous female painter of all
time."
Bonheur's most famous paintings are “The Horse Fair”, which was
exhibited at the Salon of 1853 and are now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
in New York City, USA, and the “Ploughing in the Nivernais” that I introduce
today. This painting somewhat
resembles “Oxen going to work” by Constant Troyon.
The Horse Fair, Rosa Bonheur (1852-55)
Oxen going to work, Constant Troyon (1855)
“Ploughing
in the Nivernais”, painted by Rosa Bonheur, who was renowned for animal painting,
was commissioned by the French government and received a First Medal at the
Salon of 1849, and is now held in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
Orsay Museum, Paris, France
Thank you.
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