Musée Courbet d'Ornans explores 19th-century animal art in 'Réalisme animal' exhibition
From June 27 to November 8, 2026, the Musée Courbet in Ornans, Doubs, will present 'Réalisme animal,' which examines the emergence of animal imagery in the late 19th century. Prominent artists such as Rosa Bonheur, Emmanuel Frémiet, and Gustave Courbet made animals the focal point of their works. Notable pieces include Bonheur's 'Labourage nivernais' (1849) and Paulus Potter's 'Jeune taureau' (1647). Additionally, the exhibition showcases Brascassat's studies of cattle and Frémiet's 'Chevaux de halage.' This artistic trend paralleled advancements in zootechnics, the establishment of the Société protectrice des animaux in 1845, and the enactment of the Grammont law against animal cruelty in 1850, encouraging contemplation of our connection with animals and environmental degradation.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Réalisme animal' at Musée Courbet d'Ornans runs from June 27 to November 8, 2026.
- The show analyzes the 19th-century revolution in animal representation for the first time.
- Artists include Rosa Bonheur, Emmanuel Frémiet, Gustave Courbet, Paulus Potter, Jacques Raymond Brascassat, and Henri Bonnefoy.
- Rosa Bonheur's 'Labourage nivernais' (1849) is a key work depicting oxen plowing.
- Paulus Potter's 'Jeune taureau' (1647) was seized by French troops in 1795 and exhibited in Paris.
- The Société protectrice des animaux was founded in 1845; the Grammont law against animal cruelty was passed in 1850.
- Artists gave animals anthropomorphic expressions to evoke public empathy.
- The exhibition connects 19th-century animal art to contemporary ecological concerns.
Entities
Artists
- Rosa Bonheur
- Emmanuel Frémiet
- Gustave Courbet
- Paulus Potter
- Jacques Raymond Brascassat
- Henri Bonnefoy
- Arsène Houssaye
- Antoine-Louis Barye
- Constant Troyon
- Isidore Bonheur
- Henri-Alfred Jacquemart
- Louis-Eugène Lambert
- Louis-Victor Rouyer
- Léon Carré
- Charles Mathieu de La Cave
- Émile Zola
- Olivier Vayron
- Thierry Laugée
- Olivier Verron
- Paul Potter
- François Pompon
- Alfred Méry
- Joseph Stevens
- François-Gabriel Lépaulle
- A. Martinet
- Benjamin Foudral
- Isolde Pludermacher
Institutions
- Musée Courbet
- Société protectrice des animaux
- Muséum d'Histoire naturelle
- Fondation Custodia
- Musée d'arts de Nantes
- Ville de Bourg-en-Bresse
- musée du monastère royal de Brou
- Musée d'Orsay
- Christofle
- Journal d'agriculture pratique
- Connaissance des Arts
- Musée d'Ornans
- Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
- Société protectrice des animaux (SPA)
- Le Journal des Arts
Locations
- Ornans
- Doubs
- France
- Paris
- La Haye
- Nivernais
- Nièvre
- Poussery
- By-Thomery
- Poissy
- London
- United Kingdom