Schapen
1861
Signed and dated 1861 in the corner, this piece shows Rosa Bonheur at the height of her powers as the 19th-century queen of animal painting. She captures a quiet, dusty moment in the pasture where most of the fluffy white flock is taking a nap, while a solitary dark goat stands guard, looking off into the distance. Bonheur was famous for her incredible attention to anatomy, often visiting slaughterhouses to study muscles and bones—definitely not a typical hobby for a lady of her time! She even had to get special police permission to wear men's trousers while doing her field research.
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