Lion in a mountainous landscape
1880
Rosa Bonheur was the 19th century's rockstar of animal painting, and this 1880 lion shows off her incredible skill. While the backdrop suggests the wild Atlas Mountains, Bonheur actually did most of her studying at the Jardin des Plantes zoo in Paris, sketching lions until she got every muscle and tuft of fur perfect. She was so dedicated to realism that she even obtained a police permit to wear men's trousers, allowing her to visit horse fairs and slaughterhouses to study anatomy without the harassment female artists faced at the time.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
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