Head of a Bull
1 of 2
Object Label
Rosa Bonheur’s closely observed animal paintings made her one of the most commercially successful artists in mid-nineteenth-century France. Though not identified with a particular finished oil painting, this watercolor sketch of a bull is typical of the kind of preparatory studies she made directly from nature.
Throughout her lifetime, Bonheur defied norms for women’s behavior. She wore masculine attire and lived with another woman, Nathalie Micas, for forty years, writing, “Had I been a man I would have married her. . . . I would have had a family, with my children as heirs, and nobody would have had any right to complain.”
Caption
Rosa Bonheur French, 1822–1899. Head of a Bull, n.d.. Watercolor and graphite on cream wove paper, 4 15/16 x 6 7/8 in. (12.5 x 17.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of John Hill Morgan, 22.80. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 22.80.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
Head of a Bull
Date
n.d.
Geography
Place made: France
Medium
Watercolor and graphite on cream wove paper
Classification
Dimensions
4 15/16 x 6 7/8 in. (12.5 x 17.5 cm)
Signatures
Signed lower left: "Rosa Bonheur"
Credit Line
Gift of John Hill Morgan
Accession Number
22.80
Rights
No known copyright restrictions
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