Artwork
Ploughing in the Nivernais
Ploughing in the Nivernais is an oil painting by the Realist artist Rosa Bonheur. It dates from 1849 and is held in the collection of the Musée d'Orsay.
About this work
This oil painting shows two teams of oxen at work in a field. It’s by Rosa Bonheur, a French artist who knew animals well.
The government asked her to make it. It won a top prize at the big art show in 1849.
The book “La Mare au Diable” might have given her the idea.
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Overview
Ploughing in the Nivernais is an oil painting created by Rosa Bonheur in 1849. It is now held in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts two teams of oxen working in a field, conveying a sense of dedication to the land. The scene may have been inspired by the opening of George Sand's 1846 novel La Mare au Diable.
History & Provenance
The painting was commissioned by the French government and received a First Medal at the 1849 Salon, a prominent art exhibition.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Rosa Bonheur was a French artist known best as a painter of animals (animalière).
