Landscape with Cattle 1820 - 1900

This is Rosa Bonheur's "Landscape with Cattle," an undated graphite drawing. Bonheur was a French artist who lived in a time of changing social norms, especially for women. The image is a study of rural life. It depicts cattle in a field with a herder, evoking a sense of pastoral calm, but it also engages with the changing social status of women in mid-nineteenth-century France. Bonheur gained fame for her realistic depictions of animals, a subject often considered outside the traditional scope of academic painting, which was dominated by historical or mythological scenes. The artist defied gender expectations by pursuing a career as an animal painter, which required a deep understanding of anatomy and the ability to work in male-dominated spaces such as farms and slaughterhouses. We can learn more about Bonheur and her artwork through archival documents, biographies, and critical studies that examine her position within the artistic and social contexts of her time. Through this, we recognize that the meaning of her art is contingent on its historical and institutional setting.