Overview
“Art is an absorbent — a tyrant. It demands heart, brain, soul, body, the entireness of his votary,” she said. “Nothing less will win its highest favor. I wed art. It is my husband — my world — my life dream — the air I breathe. I know nothing else — feel nothing else — think nothing else. My soul finds in it the most complete satisfaction.” (Rosa Bonheur)
Rosa Bonheur, recognized in her time for defying gender norms in her personal and professional life, is also celebrated as one of history’s most prominent animal painters. In 2022, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris endeavored to address these questions through a retrospective celebrating the bicentennial of her birth. This show represented the first major Bonheur exhibition in Paris in a century and revitalized essential scholarship on her work.
Born into an artistic family in Bordeaux, Rosa Bonheur moved to Paris at 7. Due to the gender bias prevalent in art schools, she pursued her painting education under her father’s guidance and spent her teenage years meticulously copying paintings at the Louvre. By the age of 16, Bonheur had developed a deep conviction that animals possessed souls. This belief inspired her to specialize in animal portraiture, a choice that set her apart.
In 1840, at the young age of 19, she exhibited her work at the Salon for the first time. Initially, her depiction of goats and sheep failed to capture much attention. However, by 1848, her talent had gained recognition, leading to regular sales, and eventually earning her a prestigious gold medal. Notably, at the 1847 Salon, a critic offered her the highest compliment, remarking, “She paints like a man.” This accolade underscored Bonheur’s exceptional skill, placing her on equal footing with her male counterparts.
Raised in the Saint-Simonian ideology, which included an important feminist component, Bonheur lived a life far from the ordinary. In her determination to closely examine animal anatomy amid the gritty all-male atmosphere of the Paris slaughterhouses, she secured a special permit to wear pants, allowing her to blend in. However, her choice of male clothing was not solely a practical decision; it aligned with her personal taste. She wore her hair short, rode astride instead of sidesaddle, learned how to shoot a gun, hunted small game, told bawdy jokes, and indulged in smoking—a habit considered inappropriate for women at that time. Unconstrained by societal norms, she remained unmarried and, owing to her unconventional appearance and behavior, was occasionally mistaken for a man.
In 1860, she withdrew to the Chateau of By, situated about 10 kilometers from Barbizon on the edges of the Fontainebleau Forest, approximately 40 miles from Paris. Within the estate, she housed a diverse collection of animal species, including sheep, horses, monkeys, dogs, birds, and occasionally lions and tigers.
Known for her realistic portrayals of animals, she rose to become the wealthiest and most renowned female artist in 19th-century France. Her reputation was meticulously crafted through astute self-promotion. Early in her career, Bonheur decided to sell her artworks privately abroad, opting out of exhibiting in the Paris Salon or aligning herself with any specific artistic movement. Her remarkable achievements were recognized with the prestigious Légion d’Honneur, making her the first woman to be honored with this medal for outstanding contributions to the arts. She was feted by royalty and statesmen alike, and a variety of rose was named in her honor—a fragrant, exceptionally large, old-rose-pink flower.
In the United States, Rosa Bonheur gained widespread recognition for her painting The Horse Fair (the Metropolitan Museum of Art), which vividly portrays the horse market in Paris akin to a historical battle scene on a monumental scale. This painting quickly became a public favorite, thanks in part to the extensive marketing efforts of Bonheur’s dealer, Ernest Gambart. Gambart exhibited the artwork internationally, charging an entrance fee and mass-producing reproductions of it. The painting was acquired by Cornelius Vanderbilt II in 1887 at auction for $53,000, an exorbitant sum at the time, who immediately donated it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Today, alongside the Egyptian mummies, it is a must-see for every New Yorker during their first museum visit. Furthermore, Bonheur’s affinity for America is evident in her portrait of Buffalo Bill Cody on horseback, a close friend she met during his “Wild West” show in Paris at the 1889 Universal Exposition. In her estate, she proudly exhibited the buckskins gifted to her by Buffalo Bill, tokens of her deep admiration for the American West.
Leïla Jarbouai, co-curator of the Orsay 2022 exhibition, noted: [Rosa Bonheur’s work] is rooted in the 19th century, but like all great art, it helps us to think about the present.” Bonheur’s life remains highly relevant, raising crucial questions about the position of women in art and society, the well-being of animals, and ecological issues.