Cowboys
Collection: Houston Public Library (HPL)
1925
Etching on Paper
Location:
Houston Public Library - Julia Ideson, Mary Anita Bonner, Cowboys, 1925
550 McKinney St.
2nd. Floor - Library Foundation Office
Houston, TX 77002
About the Artwork:
Cowboys (1925)
by Mary Anita Bonner
Artist and printmaker Mary Anita Bonner, born near Bastrop, LA in 1887, relocated to San Antonio, TX with her mother and two siblings at the age of 10. There, Bonner saw Texas ranch life, forming memories that would inspire her later work. After moving to Paris, France in 1922 to further her art education, Bonner received attention from French art critics for her etchings inspired by Texas. In 1925, Bonner’s three-part frieze, which is a continuous, horizontal band of painted decoration, titled “Les Cowboys” was reproduced by three French newspapers, giving her wider acclaim. This piece may be a version of the same three-part frieze, except as a limited print on paper where only 100 were made. On the left are three bucking broncos, perhaps being tamed by the cowboys riding them; the center panel seems to show a cowboy catching a runaway calf; the right panel appears to be the same cowboys taming broncos but from a different angle as their sombreros have either fallen to the ground, in the air, or stayed on. Notice the details in the border, which includes snakes, bats, lizards, and ducks. Why do you think the French were so fascinated by Bonner’s work?
Vaqueros (1925)
por Mary Anita Bonner
Cowboys (1925)
by Mary Anita Bonner
Artist and printmaker Mary Anita Bonner, born near Bastrop, LA in 1887, relocated to San Antonio, TX with her mother and two siblings at the age of 10. There, Bonner saw Texas ranch life, forming memories that would inspire her later work. After moving to Paris, France in 1922 to further her art education, Bonner received attention from French art critics for her etchings inspired by Texas. In 1925, Bonner’s three-part frieze, which is a continuous, horizontal band of painted decoration, titled “Les Cowboys” was reproduced by three French newspapers, giving her wider acclaim. This piece may be a version of the same three-part frieze, except as a limited print on paper where only 100 were made. On the left are three bucking broncos, perhaps being tamed by the cowboys riding them; the center panel seems to show a cowboy catching a runaway calf; the right panel appears to be the same cowboys taming broncos but from a different angle as their sombreros have either fallen to the ground, in the air, or stayed on. Notice the details in the border, which includes snakes, bats, lizards, and ducks. Why do you think the French were so fascinated by Bonner’s work?
Vaqueros (1925)
por Mary Anita Bonner
La artista y grabadora Mary Anita Bonner, nacida cerca de Bastrop, LA en 1887, se mudó a San Antonio, TX con su madre y dos hermanos a la edad de 10 años. Allí, Bonner vio la vida en un rancho texano, forjando recuerdos que inspirarían su obra posterior. Después de mudarse a París, Francia, en 1922 para continuar su educación artística, Bonner recibió el reconocimiento de las críticas francesas por sus grabados inspirados en Texas. En 1925, el friso de tres partes de Bonner, que es una franja horizontal continua de decoración pintada, titulado “Les Cowboys,” fue reproducido por tres periódicos franceses, lo que le dio mayor reconocimiento. Esta obra puede ser una versión del mismo friso de tres partes, excepto que se trató de una impresión limitada en papel, de la que solo se realizaron 100 ejemplares. A la izquierda hay tres caballos salvajes corcoveando, tal vez siendo domados por los vaqueros que los montan; el panel central parece mostrar a un vaquero atrapando a un ternero desbocado; el panel derecho parece ser el de los mismos vaqueros domando caballos salvajes, pero desde un ángulo diferente ya que sus sombreros han caído al suelo, están en el aire, o se han quedado puestos. Observa los detalles del borde, que incluye serpientes, murciélagos, lagartos, y patos. ¿Por qué crees que los franceses estaban tan fascinados por la obra de Bonner?