Flemish Bull, French Cattle Breed, Antique Chromolithograph by Borie, 1863

An original antique chromolithograph, printed in color, lettered "RACE FLAMANDE, TAUREAU." and published in Paris about 1863 in Victor Borie's Animaux de la Ferme, Espèce Bovine. A mahogany bull stands in strict profile facing left, short in the neck and deep in the body, with a pale curly poll between small horns. White markings run across the face and down the throat, and white patches show at the brisket and along the belly. The tail falls straight to a pale switch, and the bull stands on a sandy ground with a soft gray shadow and a band of gray haze behind.

The sheet 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 upper left and "par Victor Borie." at upper right. The caption below the image translates as "Flemish breed, bull", and the printer's line "Imp. Zanote, rue des Boulangers, 13, Paris." runs at lower left. The drawing carries the artist's abbreviated script signature in the stone at lower right. The signature is that of the French animal painter Olivier de Penne (Charles Olivier de Penne, 1831 to 1897).

The plate shows the Flemish cattle of French Flanders in the far north of France, a dairy race known for its dark red coat. Borie's album is a survey in colored portraits of the cattle breeds of France, together with British and other foreign breeds, issued in Paris by the Librairie Agricole de la Maison Rustique of 26 rue Jacob, a publisher of books on farming and rural life. Each animal is drawn broadside against a plain ground, the convention of the livestock portrait, so that the build, coat and horns of the breed can be read and compared from plate to plate.

With its soft printed tints and clear lettering, the plate suits a simple frame and a light mount in a kitchen, study or country dining room.

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