Anna Elizabeth Klumpke, "Portrait of Rosa Bonheur" (1898), oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Rosa Bonheur:
A Trailblazing French Artist

by Georgia Modi

French artist Marie-Rosalie “Rosa” Bonheur (1822-1899) was a fiercely independent woman who refused to conform to societal expectations. Often dressed in men’s clothing[1], she was known for her short haircut, which was unusual for women at the time. Her appearance and lifestyle brought her much criticism and discrimination.

Despite this, Bonheur persevered and became a respected artist, whose paintings and sculptures brought her fame and fortune. She was known for her paintings, sculptures, and drawings of animals, particularly horses and bulls. Sought after by royals, statesmen, and celebrities, her high-profile admirers included Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III. She was so impressed with Bonheur’s work that she awarded herthe Medal of Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur.

‘Genius has no sex,’ the empress declared.”[2] This recognition makes it all the more surprising that Bonheur fell so drastically out of favor at the turn of the century.

Rosa Bonheur, “Gathering for the Hunt” (1856), oil on canvas, 31.25” X 59”, Haggin Museum, Stockton, CA

Born into a family of artists in Bordeaux, France, Bonheur moved with her family to Paris when she was 6. That’s when Rosa’s independence and creativity began to blossom.  Bonheur “…had a difficult time learning to read, though she would sketch for hours at a time with pencil and paper before she learned to talk.”[3]

Her mother, Sophie Bonheur (née Marquis), a piano teacher, taught Rosa to read and write by having her pick an animal for every letter of the alphabet and then draw the animal. Rosa often acknowledged that her passion for animals came from the education her mother provided. Unfortunately, Sophie Bonheur died when Rosa was only eleven years old.[4]

Bonheur’s impulsive and disorderly nature continued into her teen years, leading her to be expelled from school several times.[5] After a failed attempt as a seamstress apprentice,[6] her father, Oscar-Raymond Bonheur, a landscape and portrait painter, began training her as a  painter.

 

Rosa Bonheurt, "Two Rabbit" (1841), oil on canvas, Musée Beaux Arts, Bordeaux, France]

 

Once Bonheur was in her teen years, “…her talent for sketching live animals had manifested itself ­– she began studying animal motion and forms on farms, in stockyards, and at animal markets, horse fairs, and slaughterhouses, observing and sketching them and gaining an intimate knowledge of animal anatomy.”[7] At 19, she was already exhibiting paintings in the renown Paris Salon.

 As  a trailblazer for women in the art world, Bonheur is known for being the first woman to receive the Cross of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest civilian honor, for her contributions to art.[8] She was also the first woman admitted to the Société Nationale des Beaux-arts, a prestigious organization of French artists.

 Rosa Bonheurt, "The Horse Fair" (1852-55), oil on canvas, 96 ¼” x 199 ½”, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

 

One of her most famous paintings, The Horse Fair, depicts a bustling horse market in Paris. The painting is known for its attention to detail and ability to capture the energy and movement of the scene, something that Bonheur achieves in a number of her pieces. She spent countless hours studying and sketching horses to render them accurately in her paintings.

 At the center of the painting is a group of horses being led through the market by their handlers. The tension radiating off the animals is palpable as they realize their uncertain future. The viewer can feel the horses’ emotions through Bonheur’s deliberate brushstrokes, how she captures the shine of their coats and the ache of their flesh. Even the handlers are depicted with great care and precision, with their poses and emotions varying from person to person.[9]

The Horse Fair was a critical and commercial success. Now housed in New York’s Metropolitan Museum  of Art, a much smaller version of this painting is also on display at the National Gallery in London.[10]

Ploughing in the Nivernais is another large-scale piece from Bonheur. The painting shows a team of oxen and fieldhands plowing a field in the Nivernais region of France. Like all of Bonheur’s work, this piece is characterized by its dynamic composition and fastidious attention to detail.

 

 

At the center of the composition is a team of oxen, their powerful bodies straining as they pull the plow through the soil. Like The Horse Fair, Bonheur paints these animals with remarkable realism, their muscles rippling and their hides coated in sweat and dirt. Bonheur captures the individual characteristics of each animal, with their personalities coming alive on the canvas.

 More than just a painter, Bonheur was also a skilled sculptor. She completed several sculptures of animals, including a bronze sculpture of a bull exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1853.

 

 

Walking Bull is a meticulous depiction of a bull in motion. The bull is shown with its head held high and its muscles rippling as it strides forward. The sculpture is made of bronze and stands on a rectangular base.

 The level of detail that Bonheur has included in the bull’s body is striking. The animal’s muscles are carefully chiseled, and the texture of its hide is clearly defined, showcasing a living, breathing creature. The bull’s eyes are carefully rendered. This level of detail once again Bonheur owes to the hours spent during her childhood studying the animal’s form.[11]

Bonheur’s personal life was marked by close relationships with women, including her lifelong partner Nathalie Micas, who lived with Bonheur for more than 50 years. While Micas was also a painter, her work was often overshadowed by Bonheur’s. Regardless, Micas supported her partner “… as she built her illustrious career, largely tending to household affairs so that Bonheur could focus on painting.”[12]

Shortly after Micas passed away in 1889,  Bonheur began a relationship with an American painter, Anna Elizabeth Klumpke. Thirty-four years her senior, Bonheur had a strong influence on young artists like Klumpke. During her childhood, “…she received a ‘Rosa’ doll – a porcelain-faced model of Bonheur that was popular in Europe and America at the time.”[13] Playing with the doll influenced Klumpke’s passion for art and sparked a dream of one day meeting Bonheur herself.

 

Anna Elizabeth Klumpke, "Portrait of Rosa Bonheur" (1898), oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

 

By 1887, Anna was a “…well-established artist who was painting portraits, teaching, exhibiting her work, and winning awards.”[14] She first reached out to Bonheur in ???. That began a ten-year pen-pal relationship, leading to a meeting in 1895 where Klumpke became obsessed with painting Bonheur’s portrait. It would take another two years until Klumpke asked to paint her portrait.[15] Bonheur agreed. It did not take long for the two women to fall for one another, and their relationship lasted until Bonheur’s death in 1899 at the age of 77.

Upon her death, a major shock hit the Bonheur family when they learned that Rosa had made Klumpke the sole heir to her estate. “Klumpke was portrayed as a money-hungry American sorceress. To resolve the crisis, Klumpke organized a spectacular auction in Paris that lasted more than a week, with the catalog listing 4,700 items for sale. Klumpke gave half the proceeds to Bonheur’s family. She also bought back whatever items she could from other buyers and returned them to the chateau.”[16] Klumpke then committed her life to promoting Bonheur’s legacy. 

 

 

Today, Rosa Bonheur’s legacy lives on through “…another Frenchwoman, Katherine Brault, a 58-year-old former communications specialist who bought the chateau in 2017. With limitless passion and little money, Brault has dedicated her life to transforming the chateau into a museum that will honor and promote Bonheur’s life.

Because of Brault’s painstaking work, the first exhibition of Bonheur’s art in over a century is taking place in Paris, putting Bonheur firmly back in the limelight.”[17] In an art world where gallery wall space remains dominated by males, Bonheur  continues to inspire and influence women artists with her talent, dedication to her craft, and will to succeed.

 

Sources

[1] Sciolino.Elaine. “The Redemption of Rosa Bonheur.” Smithsonian, Nov. 2020, p. 10. EBSCOhost,
https://search-ebscohost-com.chipublib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx? direct=true&db=f6h&AN=146868673&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

[2] Sciolino.Elaine. “The Redemption of Rosa Bonheur.” Smithsonian, Nov. 2020, p. 10. EBSCOhost,
https://search-ebscohost-com.chipublib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx? direct=true&db=f6h&AN=146868673&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

[3] Mackay, James, The Animaliers, E.P. Dutton, Inc., New York, 1973

[4] Kuiper, Kathleen. "Rosa Bonheur". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rosa-Bonheur.

[5] Stanton, Theodore. Reminiscences of Rosa Bonheur. D. Appleton, 1910.
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Reminiscences_of_Rosa_Bonheur/qOzVAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1

[6] Kuiper, Kathleen. "Rosa Bonheur". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rosa-Bonheur.

[7] Kuiper, Kathleen. "Rosa Bonheur". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rosa-Bonheur.

[8] Kuiper, Kathleen. "Rosa Bonheur". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rosa-Bonheur.

[9] https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435702

[10] https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/rosa-bonheur-the-horse-fair

[11] https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/201411

[12] https://hyperallergic.com/437985/the-portrait-that-forged-a-divine-marriage-between-two-19th-century-women-painters/

[13] https://www.portraitsociety.org/single-post/2019/10/29/a-portrait-of-perseverance-and-excellence-anna-klumpke-1856-1936

[14] https://www.portraitsociety.org/single-post/2019/10/29/a-portrait-of-perseverance-and-excellence-anna-klumpke-1856-1936

[15] https://www.portraitsociety.org/single-post/2019/10/29/a-portrait-of-perseverance-and-excellence-anna-klumpke-1856-1936

[16] Sciolino.Elaine. “The Redemption of Rosa Bonheur.” Smithsonian, Nov. 2020, p. 10. EBSCOhost,
https://search-ebscohost-com.chipublib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx? direct=true&db=f6h&AN=146868673&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

[17] https://francetoday.com/culture/chateau-de-by-transformed-into-rosa-bonheur-museum/