“The Meeting of Two Herds in the Pyrenees”

(French: “Recontre des deux troupeaux les Pyrénées”)

Who Painted this? Auguste Bonheur     

Where is he from? France

When was this painted? 19th Century

What is this made of? Oil on canvas

Bonheur, like Bougereau, attended the prestigious art school Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Every year the school would hold an art exhibition, “The Salon,” which was one of the greatest art exhibitions at the time. In 1861, Bonheur won a first-class medal for this painting.

This painting is quite magical. To witness the magic you need to stand in front of the reddish brown cow staring directly at you. Don’t stand too close to the painting or the magic won’t happen. Slowly move to the left while looking at the cow. It is still looking at you! Now slowly move to the right and keep looking at the cow. It still has its eyes fixed on you. This effect is called ever present gaze. The artist uses different painting techniques to create the illusion of a 3D setting. This is what makes our brain think the cow is always looking at us no matter where we stand in front of the painting.

Fun Facts: The most famous painting where ever present gaze is used is the “Mona Lisa,” by Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci. The Mona Lisa is the most viewed painting in the world and can be seen in the Louvre Museum in Paris.