WEST RIDGE — Where's the beef?
At least one special Chicago bovine is hoping to make its way to your office or living room.
Since 2000, the "Sacred Cow," painted as part of the city's 1999 Cows on Parade art installation, has been living in the spacious living room of an ornate, fortress-esque bungalow in West Ridge.
Its owner, David Bonneau, recently sold the house and on Wednesday listed the 8-foot-long cow for sale through auction website Everything But The House, too. The bidding starts at $1 and lasts for a week.
Before taking up residence with Bonneau, the cow grazed on the downtown museum campus near the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Adler Planetarium. The 300 cows that roamed various parts of the city were later sold either online or at auction, and Bonneau snagged one.
He believes the sparkling, animal-shaped artwork was painted by four students from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Bonneau bought the piece for $7,000 through his company, which would often tow the statue — surprisingly light at just 35 pounds — to trade shows as far as Las Vegas and Baltimore, as well as downtown Chicago.
The cow even made it onto the back of his company's business cards for a time, he said.
It isn't the only odd piece of art that's made its way into the house, either.
Its builder, architect Fred Winter, purposely designed the home to include a large living room that Bonneau said was designed to accommodate a mini-Buckingham Fountain.
Whoever decides to take the bovine beauty should have ample space, too.
"How do I put it? My wife said it's like having a baby grand piano as a furniture statement," Bonneau said. "We enjoyed it."
This "Sacred Cow" is now for sale. [Provided]
