Musée d’Orsay · 1849
Ploughing in the Nivernais
Rosa Bonheur
Bonheur paints twelve powerful oxen pulling heavy ploughs through a French field, giving the animals themselves — not the small human figures guiding them — the true starring role of the painting.
Why it matters
Bonheur paints twelve powerful oxen pulling heavy ploughs through a French field, giving the animals themselves — not the small human figures guiding them — the true starring role of the painting.
Look closer
Notice how carefully Bonheur renders the animals' muscles, coats, and the strain of pulling — she studied real cattle anatomy in slaughterhouses and farms to get every detail right.
This painting was commissioned by the French government and won Bonheur a First Medal at the 1849 Salon, launching her into becoming one of the most famous and successful female painters of the 19th century.
Value context
ELYIO places this work in an indicative editorial context of €1.5–4 million.
The museum work is not for sale. This is ELYIO indicative context—not an appraisal, insurance value or offer.