Landaise Ox with Cord Halter, 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 LANDAISE, BŒUF" (Landaise breed, ox). The ox stands in profile facing the viewer's left with his head turned slightly outward. He is a fawn and grayish animal with a darker head, long pale horns that sweep up and outward, a pink muzzle and a dark tail switch. A halter of twisted red and dark cord passes around his muzzle and up behind his horns, and he stands on a pale yellow ground with a soft gray band behind.

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 "O. de Penne del" and the printer's line reads "Imp. Zanote, rue des Boulangers, 13, Paris" (printed by Zanote, rue des Boulangers, Paris). The abbreviation stands for delineavit, drew it. The artist's signature, Ol. de Penne, is also drawn into the image at lower left. The artist is the French animal painter Charles Olivier de Penne (1831 to 1897).

The Landaise is the cattle of the Landes, the sandy pine country of southwestern France, where oxen were long used for draft work. Borie's album sets out the cattle of France alongside British and other foreign breeds, each animal shown in profile 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.