From the artist's life
To study animals at markets and slaughterhouses, Bonheur obtained official police permission to wear men's trousers.
Source: Wikipedia / WikimediaRealism
Rosa Bonheur
Rosa Bonheur (1822–1899) was the most famous woman painter of the 19th century, celebrated for powerful, lifelike paintings of animals. Her monumental The Horse Fair made her an international star.
Bonheur broke barriers for women in art and won fame and honours across Europe and America.
- The most celebrated woman painter of the 19th century.
- Famed for The Horse Fair and powerful animal paintings.
- Won official permission to wear trousers for her studies of animals.
Key works
Where to start
Complete list of key works
Works with a dedicated ArtAtlas page are highlighted in gold.
- The Horse FairOn ArtAtlas
- Ploughing in the NivernaisListed for reference
- Haymaking in the AuvergneListed for reference
- Berger des PyrénéesListed for reference
- King of the ForestListed for reference
- Weaning the CalvesListed for reference
- Portrait of a LionListed for reference
- Deer in ReposeListed for reference
- The DuelListed for reference
- Gray Horse in GreenListed for reference
- Ten Studies of a RamListed for reference
1853
The Horse Fair
The Horse Fair is an oil-on-canvas painting by French artist Rosa Bonheur, begun in 1852 and first exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1853. Bonheur added some finishing touches in 1855. The large work measures 96. 25 in × 199.