Mid 19th Century Bronze Bellowing Bull Sculpture, by Rosa Bonheur

Details

Description

This exceptional 19th-century French bronze sculpture is titled Taureau Beuglant (The Bellowing Bull). It was conceived by Rosa Bonheur (1822–1899), … Read more This exceptional 19th-century French bronze sculpture is titled Taureau Beuglant (The Bellowing Bull). It was conceived by Rosa Bonheur (1822–1899), one of the most celebrated Animalier artists of the 19th century.
While she is internationally famous for her monumental paintings like “The Horse Fair” and “Plowing in the Nivernais,” she was also an accomplished sculptor who worked alongside her sculptor brother, Isidore Bonheur.
THE SUBJECT: The sculpture captures a bull with its head lowered, mouth slightly agape, mid-vocalization. Bonheur’s hallmark anatomical precision is evident in the realistic rendering of the heavy dewlap, the wrinkled skin around the neck, and the tense, powerful muscular definition across the flanks.
THE ARTIST: The naturalistic integral bronze base features a clear, authentic incised script signature reading "Rosa Bonheur" (rather than her more common abbreviated cast stamp, "Rosa B.").
THE STAND: The bull rests on a separate, highly ornate, custom-fitted gilt-bronze/patinated base. It features neoclassical elements including scrolling acanthus leaf feet, floral swags, a fluted collar, and central cartouches. This decorative presentation stand elevates the rustic subject matter into an elegant, upper-class salon centerpiece.
STRUCTURE: This piece was made using the sand-cast method, typical of fine mid-to-late 19th-century French foundries. The underside image reveals a hollow interior cast with high-quality thick walls. The sculpture is structurally secured to the integrated plate using period-correct, countersunk iron or bronze screws threaded into the animal’s hooves from below. While no explicit foundry stamp is visible on the exterior rim, the vast majority of Rosa Bonheur’s lifetime bronzes were cast and edited by her brother-in-law, Hippolyte Peyrol, who operated one of the premier art foundries in Paris.
Signature/Maker’s Mark: Atop base (photos #5-6). Bull dimensions: 3.75 inches high x 6.5 inches wide x 2 inches deep.; Base dimensions: 2.5 inches high x 8 inches wide x 5 inches deep. See less