Stag Lying Down
1880
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1880
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Stag Lying Down is a 1880 by Rosa Bonheur, a Impressionism work, depicting deer, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a quiet stag resting on dry leaves, sunlight dappling its coat. Bonheur drew this in her studio, but the deer feels alive—she watched real stags for hours, sketching from nature. She even got police permission to wear pants so she could move freely in the woods. This drawing was found after her death, one of many she never sold. Look up more animal studies by Rosa Bonheur (French, 1822–1899).
