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ROSA BONHEUR |
Horses were very important when this was painted almost 150 years ago. Since there were no cars, and travel by train was new and somewhat limited, horses were the primary means of transportation. At horse fairs like the one in this painting, horse dealers (like car dealers today) would show off their animals to potential buyers. Which horse would you choose and why?
Rosa Bonheur, the artist who painted this, loved horses and other animals. To paint them correctly, she believed you had to see them up close. But she had a problem- in the 1850s it was not acceptable for women to attend an event like a horse fair. When she did, the men made fun of her. So Ms. Bonheur did something very unusual- she decided to wear men's clothing so she wouldn't be noticed. But in order to not be arrested, she asked the police for permission to dress like a man. They granted her request, and she was able to sketch the powerful and beautiful horses at the fair.
This painting is a small study (a practice version) of a much larger work also called The Horse Fair. The final version is huge- 16 feet long and 8 feet high! It was very popular, and Ms. Bonheur was the most famous woman artist of her time. It was unusual for a woman to be a successful professional artist back when Ms. Bonheur lived. Women were expected to stay home and take care of the house and the children. Things have improved for women artists today, and even though there are still many ways in which men have advantages in the art world, at least no one thinks it's strange for a woman to become an artist! Can you think of jobs today that mostly men do? How about some that mainly women do?