Rosa (Marie-Rosalie) Bonheur

Rosa Bonheur (French, 1822 – 1899) was a well-known French painter and sculptor who is admired for the accuracy of her portrayals of animals. She initially studied horses on farms, horse fairs, and even slaughterhouses, gaining a deep knowledge of their anatomies. When sketching in public places she took to wearing the clothing of a paysan to avoid the disparaging looks she would have received if dressed as a lady; she continued to dress in male clothing for the rest of her life, even obtaining police authorization to do so. Her paintings sold so well that in 1860 she was able to buy a château and estate on which she kept many different animals to sketch - including, remarkably, lions. Her work was popular both in Europe and the United States, and she is represented in many important collections - including "The Horse Fair" from 1852-55, bought by Cornelius Vanderbilt for a record sum, and now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.