Two Recumbent Tigers
1887
Rosa Bonheur, the 19th-century French queen of animal painting, captures a rare moment of tranquility in the wild with these two majestic tigers. While the foreground beast is completely conked out in a sunbeam, its companion in the back keeps a watchful eye on their surroundings. Bonheur was famous for her intense anatomical studies—she even got a special permit to wear men's trousers so she could freely visit Parisian horse markets and slaughterhouses to sketch! This 1887 piece proves she didn't just paint farm animals; her keen observational skills brought the fierce beauty of big cats to life with incredible softness and realism.
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