Study of a Dog
Study of a Dog

On view

European Art
William R. Elfers Gallery

Study of a Dog,

possibly 1860s

Rosa Bonheur, 1822–1899; born Bordeaux, France; died Thomery (Fontainebleau), France; active Thomery and Paris, France
y1976-23

Bonheur was renowned for her skillful depictions of animals. Influenced by earlier artists such as Delacroix—similarly famous for his depictions of horses and lions—Bonheur meticulously studied animals from life, making countless studies and sketches, including the two on view here. To support this practice, she kept a personal menagerie with her life partner, Nathalie Micas, which included horses, sheep, deer, a gazelle, and even lions. She also worked from photographs like Tournachon’s, which comes from a publication of prize-winning horses from a competition in 1860. Photography and print were both deployed in making knowledge about animals widely available. Around 1861, Bonheur and her brother Isidore, a famed animal sculptor, worked from Tournachon’s photographs to illustrate an encyclopedia of cattle breeds published by the French Ministry of Agriculture.

Information

Title
Study of a Dog
Dates

possibly 1860s

Maker
Rosa Bonheur
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
33.3 × 28.2 cm (13 1/8 × 11 1/8 in.) frame: 46.7 × 41.9 × 5.4 cm (18 3/8 × 16 1/2 × 2 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Stuart P. Feld, Class of 1957, and Mrs. Feld
Object Number
y1976-23
Signatures
Signed in paint, lower right: Rosa Bonheur
Culture
French
Type
studies (visual works), oil paintings, paintings
Materials
oil paint, canvas
Subject
brown, green (color), dogs

The artist (until 1900; sale, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, May 30–31 and June 2, 1900, ?lot 1862); art market, Cambridge, MA (ca. 1957/1961; sold to Feld); Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Feld, New York (ca. 1957/1961–1976; gift to the Princeton University Art Museum).

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The Museum regularly researches its objects and their collecting histories, updating its records to reflect new information. We also strive to catalogue works of art using language that is consistent with how people, subjects, artists, and cultures describe themselves. As this effort is ongoing, the Museum’s records may be incomplete or contain terms that are no longer acceptable. We welcome your feedback, questions, and additional information that you feel may be useful to us. Email us at collectionsinfo@princeton.edu.

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