A Family of Deer
Artist
Rosa Bonheur
(French, 1822 – 1899)
Date1865
CultureFrench
MediumOil on canvas
ClassificationPaintings
ProvenanceHenry William Ferdinand Bolckow [1806-1878], by 1868; Pandeli Ralli, Esq. [1845-1928]; by descent to his niece, Viscountess Byng of Vimy [1870-1949]; (Christie's, London, Nov. 30, 1928, No. 159); John Ringling [1866-1936], 1928-his death, 1936; by bequest to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 1936-present
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN434
By the time she painted this scene, Bonheur had left the Paris art world for a château on the edge of the forest of Fontainebleau, a move which brought her closer to nature. Here she depicts a deer family in that forest, which is known for its large, distinctive boulders (shown in the background). This painting was in Bonheur’s studio when the Empress Eugénie (1826-1920) visited her unexpectedly in 1864; in the following year, Eugénie awarded her the Legion of Honor, making Bonheur the first female artist to receive that distinction.
On View
On viewLocation
DimensionsImage: 55 1/2 × 126 1/2 in. (141 × 321.3 cm)- Museum of Art, Gallery 21, Wall West
Frame (Canvas is an additional 1.5" behind frame): 70 3/4 × 141 1/8 × 3 3/4 in. (179.7 × 358.5 × 9.5 cm)
