The Horse Fair
Rosa Bonheur
1853-55
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY, USA
French artist Rosa Bonheur (1822-99) gained great acclaim during her lifetime for her realistic animal paintings and sculptures. The above painting, The Horse Fair was exhibited at the Salon of 1853 and met with an extremely favorable reception, and led to international fame. Among numerous others honors, Bonheur received the Légion d’honneur in 1865 and Grand Cross of the French Legion of Honor in 1894, both of which which had previously only been honored to men.
30