Baretonne Bull with Frontlet, French Cattle Chromolithograph, 1863

This is an original antique chromolithograph, printed in color from several lithographic stones, from Victor Borie's Animaux de la Ferme, Espèce Bovine, published in Paris about 1863. The plate is lettered "RACE BARETONNE, TAUREAU." (Baretonne breed, bull). The bull stands in three quarter view with his head toward the viewer's left, looking out of the picture. He is a tawny golden brown animal with darker spotting along the back, a pale muzzle and tall, upswept horns. A padded frontlet in red and black, studded with ornaments, is strapped across his poll between the horns, and a strap runs down his face to a ring in his nose. He stands on a pale sandy ground streaked with shadow.

Above the image, the plate is headed Animaux de la Ferme, Espèce Bovine (Farm Animals, Cattle), with the imprint "Lib. Agricole de la Maison Rustique rue Jacob, 26, à Paris" at left (the agricultural bookshop of the Maison Rustique), and "par Victor Borie" (by Victor Borie) at right. Below the image, the artist's credit reads "Ol. de Penne Pinx.t" and the printer's line reads "Imp. Zanote rue des Boulangers, 13, Paris." (printed by Zanote, rue des Boulangers, Paris). The abbreviation stands for pinxit, painted it. The artist's signature, Ol. de Penne, is also drawn into the image at lower right. The artist is the French animal painter Charles Olivier de Penne (1831 to 1897).

The Baretonne takes its name from the Barétous valley in the Béarn, in the western Pyrenees of France. Borie's album sets out the cattle of France alongside British and other foreign breeds, each animal shown on a plain ground so that build, coat and horns can be compared. It was issued by the Librairie Agricole de la Maison Rustique, the Paris publisher of agricultural books.

The clear profile and warm palette suit a kitchen, study or country house, alone or with other plates from the series.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.