Schwyz Cow with Bell, Swiss Brown 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 SWITZ, VACHE." (Schwyz breed, cow). The cow stands in profile facing the viewer's left with her head turned toward the viewer, a deep bodied, dark brown animal with curved pale horns, a curly poll, light rimmed ears and a pale ring around the muzzle. A broad leather collar with a brass buckle carries a large bell at her throat, a fine pale line runs along her back, and her udder shows beneath the flank. She stands on a warm ocher ground.

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 is the French animal painter Charles Olivier de Penne (1831 to 1897).

The "Switz" of the lettering is the brown cattle of the canton of Schwyz in central Switzerland, the ancestor of the Brown Swiss, valued for milk and 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.