Rosa Bonheur "The Old Pensioner" Painting, ca. 1875
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GUEST:
Well, this picture belonged to my great-aunt, and it was passed down to my mother, and I've had it in my house ever since then. I think it's by Rosa Bonheur. I had done a little reading and I think she was... got in trouble for wearing pants back in the 1800s.
APPRAISER:
She didn't just wear pants; she wore working man's jackets, she had short hair, and she would go around smoking cigarettes...
GUEST:
(laughing): Oh.
APPRAISER:
...and cigars and pipes. It's signed down here with the initials "R.B.," and she was primarily known as an animal painter. She also did some sculpture, and she was best known for doing horses. Although Rosa Bonheur did not date her paintings, this is probably from the second half of the 19th century. This is a very unusual perspective, to have the donkey's face so in your face, so to speak. I think if you were going to sell it at auction, it would be something like $10,000 to $15,000.
GUEST:
Oh, wow, that's great.
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