Ploughing
1844
Rosa Bonheur captures the raw power of rural life in this sweeping landscape, a masterpiece of French Realism. Two massive horses—one gleaming white, the other a sturdy brown—strain against their harnesses to pull a plow through the dark, clumpy earth. A farmer guides the equipment while a young boy rides atop the white horse, looking back as if checking the work. The dramatic, cloud-filled sky dominates the scene, emphasizing the vastness of the countryside. Bonheur was a pioneer for women in art, famous for her incredibly accurate animal anatomy; she even wore men's clothing to visit horse markets and slaughterhouses to study her subjects up close!
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: Musée d'Orsay, Paris
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