Artwork
A Bull in a Normandy Pasture
A Bull in a Normandy Pasture is an oil painting by the Barbizon school artist Jacques Raymond Brascassat. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Created circa 1845, this oil painting presents a solitary bull set against a verdant pasture in Normandy.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1845, this oil painting presents a solitary bull set against a verdant pasture in Normandy. The animal occupies the central space, its contrasting black and white coat rendered with careful attention to light and shadow. A modest landscape unfolds behind it, featuring a lone tree, shrubbery, and a fence post, establishing a quiet rural atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on a single bovine, its posture alert as it gazes toward an unseen point beyond the canvas. The stark coloration of the bull—white fur marked with broad black patches—emphasizes its physical presence and may reflect the artist’s interest in the character of farm animals as symbols of pastoral life.
Technique & Style
Employing chiaroscuro, the painter models the bull’s form through a nuanced play of light and dark, giving the animal a three‑dimensional quality that stands out from the softer background. The brushwork balances detailed rendering of the bull’s anatomy with broader, looser strokes for the surrounding foliage, aligning the piece with the naturalistic tendencies of the Barbizon School.
History & Provenance
The painting is attributed to Jacques Raymond Brascassat, a French artist noted for his landscapes and animal studies. It entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of 19th‑century European art, illustrating Brascassat’s contribution to the era’s rural genre.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacques Raymond Brascassat (August 30, 1804 – February 28, 1867) was a famous French painter noted for his landscapes, and in particular his animal paintings.
