Born in Bordeaux in 1822 into a family of artists, Rosa Bonheur was trained by her father, the painter Raymond Bonheur. She chose animal painting very early on, a genre then often considered secondary, and renewed its ambition. She observed animals on farms, markets, slaughterhouses and pastures, drew their anatomy, studied their attitudes and distinguished breeds. From 1841, she exhibited at the Salon; in 1848, Oxen and bulls, Cantal breed, earned her a gold medal. In 1841, she exhibited at the Salon; in 1848, Boeufs et Taureaux, a Cantal breed, earned her a gold medal. In 1848, the Boeufs et Taureaux, a Cantal breed, earned her a gold medal. In 1848, the Boeufs et Taureaux, a Cantal breed, earned her a gold medal. In 1848, the Boeufs et Taureaux, a Cantal breed, earned her a gold medal. In 1848, the Boeufs et Taureaux, a Cantal breed, earned her a gold medal. In 1848, the Boeufs et Taureaux, a Cantal breed, earned her animals. The Horse Market brought him international fame in 1853, particularly strong in Great Britain and the United States. Based in By, near the Fontainebleau forest, she has a large workshop and maintains a menagerie which nourishes her work on the spot. In its cattle, the mass of the body, the texture of the coat, the weight of the hoof and the orientation of the gaze are rendered with precision. However, realism is not limited to detail: herd, relief, sky and light create a story of work, rest or relationship between species. A faithful reproduction must preserve the anatomical construction, breed differences, coat density and scale which gives animals a true historical presence. The selection "Cattle, cows and oxen of Rosa Bonheur" notably compares Highland Cattle - Rosa Bonheur and Weaning calves - Rosa Bonheur. His reading favors composition.
Rosa Bonheur does not place cattle in the landscape as accessories of rural life: she makes their strength, their attention and their calm the very subject of the painting.