Stag Lying Down
c. 1875–85
Medium
watercolor and gouache over graphite on cream wove paper
Dimensions
28 × 38.1 cm
Classification
Drawing
Department
Drawings
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
James Parmelee Fund
Accession Number
1977.3
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
This drawing was among many representing stags that were discovered in Rosa Bonheur’s studio after her death. One of the few women of her time who was given the support needed for an artistic career, Bonheur became famous during her lifetime for naturalistic portrayals of animals. Daily carriage rides through the forest around her home enabled her to sketch from nature. One such outing inspired Cleveland’s drawing: Bonheur’s companion recalled “a stag . . . with the sun playing on him through th...