file which includes the original illustrations4 ,see #daici-;h4htm or #daici-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu b_/#daici_/pg#daici-;images4html7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#da ici_/daici-;h4zip7 ,images of the original pages are available through ,internet ,archive4 ,see http3_/_/archive4org_/details_/rosabonhe ur#jj;cras ,masterpieces in ,colour ,edited by ,m4 ,henry ,roujon ,,rosa ,,bonheur 7#ahbb-ahii7 99 99 99 99 99 ,,in ,,the ,,same ,,series ,,reynolds ,,velasquez ,,greuze ,,turner ,,botticelli ,,romney ,,rembrandt ,,bellini ,,fra ,,angelico ,,rossetti ,,raphael ,,leighton ,,holman ,,hunt ,,titian ,,millais ,,luini ,,franz ,,hals ,,carlo ,,dolci ,,gainsborough ,,tintoretto ,,van ,,dyck ,,da ,,vinci ,,whistler ,,rubens ,,boucher ,,holbein ,,burne-,,jones ,,le ,,brun ,,chardin ,,millet ,,raeburn ,,sargent ,,constable ,,memling ,,fragonard ,d,,rer ,,lawrence ,,hogarth ,,watteau ,,murillo ,,watts ,,ingres ,,corot ,,delacroix ,,fra ,,lippo ,,lippi ,,puvis ,,de ,,chavannes ,,meissonier ,g,r,,me ,,veronese ,,van ,,eyck ,,fromentin ,,mantegna ,,perugino ,,henner 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,i4--,,the ,,lion ,,meditating 7,rosa ,bonheur ,museum7 ,according to artists1 the lion is the most difficult of all animals to paint1 on account of the prodigious mobility of his physiognomy4 ,rosa ,bonheur was able1 thanks to her inimitable art1 to catch and reproduce the fugitive facial expressions of the kingly beast1--expressions that the artist succeeded in securing during a visit to a certain menagerie1 and which she managed to record with a most surprising vigour and fidelity4 ,,rosa ,,bonheur by ,,fr4 ,,crastre ,translated from the ,french by ,frederic ,taber ,cooper ,illustrated with ,eight ,reproductions in ,colour ,frederick ,a4 ,stokes ,company ,new ,york--,publishers ,copyright1 #aiac1 by ,frederick ,a4 ,stokes ,company ,illustration3 ,august1 #aiac ,the,plimpton,press ,norwood,mass,u,s,a ,,contents ,page ,childhood and ,youth #aa ,the ,first ,successes #bb ,the ,years of ,glory #de ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,plate ,i4 ,the ,lion ,meditating ,frontispiece ,rosa ,bonheur ,museum ,,ii4 ,the ,ass #ad ,rosa ,bonheur ,studio1 at ,by ,,iii4 ,the ,horse ,fair #bd ,national ,gallery1 ,london ,,iv4 ,ploughing in the ,nivernais #cd ,luxembourg ,museum1 ,paris ,v4 ,ossian's ,dream #dj ,rosa ,bonheur ,studio1 ,peyrol ,collection ,,vi4 ,the ,duel #ej ,collection of ,messrs4 ,lefvre1 ,london ,,vii4 ,tigers #fj ,rosa ,bonheur ,studio1 at ,by ,,viii4 ,trampling the ,grain #gj ,rosa ,bonheur ,studio1 at ,by ,,childhood ,,and ,,youth ,in #ahba1 a young painter of brilliant promise was living in ,bordeaux4 ,his name was ,raymond ,bonheur4 ,but the fairies who presided at his birth omitted to endow him with riches1 in addition to talent4 ,the hardships of existence compelled him to relinquish his dreams of glory and to pursue the irksome task of earning his daily bread4 ,the artist became a drawing master and went the rounds of private lessons4 ,among his pupils he made the acquaintance of a young girl1 ,mlle4 ,sophie ,marquis1 as penniless as himself1 but attractive and gentle1 full of courage1 and displaying exceptional ability in music4 ,a similarity of tastes and opinions drew these two artistic natures toward each other4 ,they fell in love1 and the marriage service united their destinies4 ,the young couple started upon married life with no other fortune than their mutual attachment and equal courage4 ,he continued to teach drawing and she gave lessons in music4 ,but before long she was forced to put an end to these lessons in order to devote herself to new duties4 ,indeed1 it was less than a year after their marriage1 namely on the #afth of ,march1 #ahbb1 that a little girl was born into the world3 this little girl was ,rosalie ,bonheur1 better known under the name of ,rosa ,bonheur4 ,it is not surprising in such an artistic environment1 that the child's taste should have undergone a sort of obscure1 yet undoubted impregnation4 ,from the time that she began to understand1 she heard art and nothing else discussed around her2 her first uncertain steps were taken in her father's studio1 and her first playthings were a brush and a palette laden with colours4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,ii4--,,the ,,ass 7,rosa ,bonheur ,studio1 at ,by7 ,rosa ,bonheur was inimitable in the art of seizing the expression on the face of an animal4 ,here1 for instance1 is a study of an ass which makes quite a charming picture4 ,note the admirable rendering of the animal's attitude1 which is half obstinacy and half resignation1 while the worn-out body weighs so heavily on the shrunken legs6 ,rosalie could hardly walk before she was drawing and painting everywhere4 ,later on1 she gave a spirited account of this3 ,i was not yet four years old when ,i conceived a veritable passion for drawing1 and ,i bespattered the white walls as high as ,i could reach with my shapeless daubs3 another great source of amusement was to cut objects out of paper4 ,they were always the same1 however3 ,i would begin by making long paper ribbons1 then with my scissors1 ,i would cut out1 in the first place1 a shepherd1 and after him a dog1 and next a cow1 and next a ship1 and next a tree1 invariably in the same order4 ,i have spent many a long day at this pastime4 ,the ,bonheurs had1 at this time1 formed a close friendship with a family by the name of ,silvela1 but the latter left ,bordeaux in #ahbh in order to assume the direction of an institute for boys in ,paris4 ,the separation did not break off their intercourse4 ,they corresponded frequently and in every letter the ,silvelas urged ,raymond ,bonheur to come and join them in ,paris where1 they said1 he would find an easier and more remunerative way of employing his talent4 ,these repeated appeals strongly tempted the man1 but a journey to ,paris1 at this epoch1 was not an easy matter4 ,besides1 his family had increased to the extent of two more children3 ,auguste ,bonheur1 born in #ahbd1 and ,isidore ,bonheur1 born in #ahbg4 ,at last1 after much hesitation1 he made up his mind to set forth alone to try his luck1 prepared to return home if he did not succeed4 ,he went directly to the ,silvelas' in the capacity of instructor of drawing2 the families of some of the pupils took an interest in him and obtained him opportunities4 ,geoffroy ,saint-,hilaire1 the great naturalist1 entrusted him with the execution of a large number of plates for a natural history4 ,if not a fortune1 this was at least an assured living4 ,accordingly1 ,bonheur decided to transfer his entire household to ,paris4 ,they joined him in #ahbi and were installed in the ,rue ,saint-,antoine4 ,little ,rosa1 who was then seven years old1 was no sooner settled in ,paris1 than she was placed together with her brothers in a boys' school which happened to be located in the same house where the ,bonheurs lived4 ,being brought up with young boys of her own age1 she acquired those boyish manners that she retained throughout life1 and to which she owes1 without the slightest doubt1 that virile mark which was destined to characterize her painting4 ,she used to go with her comrades1 during recess1 to play in the ,place ,royale4 ,i was the ring-leader in all the games and ,i did not hesitate1 when necessary1 to use my fists4 ,the revolution of #ahcj ensued and ,rosa witnessed it develop beneath the windows of her father's dwelling4 ,these were evil hours and the ,bonheur family suffered in consequence4 ,lessons became rarer and the pinch of poverty was felt within the household1 which was forced to migrate again to ,no4 #cj ,rue des ,tournelles1 a large seventeenth century mansion1 solemn and gloomy1 of which ,rosa must have retained the worst possible memories had it not chanced that it was here she acquired a little comrade1 ,mlle4 ,micas1 who was destined to become1 subsequently1 her best friend4 ,the years which followed were equally unfortunate for ,raymond ,bonheur3 ,paris had hardly recovered from the shock of the ,revolution1 when in #ahcb the cholera made its appearance4 ,there was no further question of lessons1 for everyone thought solely of his own safety2 the rich fled from the city1 the others remained closely housed in order to avoid the fatal contagion4 ,to escape the scourge1 ,raymond ,bonheur once more changed his dwelling and established himself in the ,rue du ,helder4 ,variable and impulsive by nature1 the painter delighted in change4 ,he was barely installed in the ,rue du ,helder when he left the new abode in order to move to ,mnilmontant in the centre of a hotbed of ,saint-,simonism1 the doctrines of which he had enthusiastically espoused4 ,in #ahcc1 we find him installed on the ,quai des coles4 ,this year a great misfortune befell the family3 ,mme4 ,bonheur died and the painter found himself alone and burdened with the responsibility of feeding1 tending1 and bringing up four children1 one of whom1 ,isabelle ,bonheur1 born in #ahcj1 was only three years old4 ,it was at this time that ,raymond ,bonheur became anxious to have ,rosa1 who was now eleven years of age1 acquire some vocation4 ,inasmuch as she had shown the most violent aversion to study in every school she had attended1 her father fancied that perhaps business would be more to her taste4 ,accordingly he apprenticed her to a dressmaker4 ,but the young girl showed no more inclination for sewing than for arithmetic and grammar4 ,at the end of two weeks it became necessary to give up the experiment4 ,raymond ,bonheur1 who was absent all day long giving lessons1 was absolutely bent upon finding some occupation for ,rosa4 ,he made one last attempt to send her to school2 so he placed her with ,mme4 ,gibert in the ,rue de ,reuilly4 ,rosa with her boyish manners and her incorrigible turbulence brought revolution into the peaceful precincts of the pension4 ,she engaged her new comrades in games of mimic warfare1 combats1 cavalry charges across the flower-beds of the garden which was reduced to ruins before the end of the second day4 ,the principal in consternation returned the irrepressible amazon to her father4 ,the latter1 in very natural despair1 allowed ,rosa to stay at home1 in the ,rue des ,tournelles1 where he was newly established and where he had fitted up a studio4 ,he even allowed the young girl free entry to the studio and gave her permission to sketch4 ,she asked for nothing better4 ,while her father scoured the city on his round of lessons1 she would shut herself into the studio and work with desperate energy1 taking in turn every object hanging on the walls for her models4 ,one day on returning home1 at the end of his day's work1 ,raymond ,bonheur discovered on the easel a little canvas representing a bunch of cherries1 a well drawn canvas and excellently painted from nature4 ,this was ,rosa ,bonheur's first painting2 it bore witness to a genuine artistic temperament4 ,her father was delighted1 but he hid his pleasure4 ,that is not so bad1 he allowed to ,rosa4 ,work seriously1 and you may become an artist4 ,this word of encouragement set the young girl's heart to pulsing with emotion4 ,then it needed only application and courage8 ,she felt within her an energy that nothing could rebuff and an ambition that nothing could quench4 ,rosa ,bonheur had found her path4 ,,the ,,first ,,successes ,not long after this1 a serious and determined young girl might be seen in the halls of the ,louvre1 copying with desperate energy the works of the great masters4 ,she wore an eccentric costume1 consisting of a sort of dolman with military frogs4 ,it was young ,rosa ,bonheur serving her apprenticeship to art4 ,the students and copyists who regularly frequented the museum1 not knowing her name1 had christened her the little hussard4 ,but the jests and criticisms flung out by passing strangers in regard to her work1 far from discouraging her1 only drove her to still more obstinate and persistent study4 ,the hours which she did not consecrate to the ,louvre1 she spent in her father's studio1 multiplying her sketches and anatomical studies4 ,even at this period she had already grasped instinctively the truth formulated by ,ingres1 that honesty in art depends upon line-work4 ,few painters have so far insisted upon this honesty1 this conscientiousness1 without which the most gifted artist remains incomplete4 ,whatever gifts he may be endowed with by nature1 talent cannot be improvised2 it is the fruit of independent and sustained toil4 ,later on1 when she in her turn became a teacher1 ,rosa ,bonheur was able to proclaim the necessity of line-work with all the more authority because it had always been the fundamental basis1 the very scaffolding of all her works4 ,it is the true grammar of art1 she would affirm1 and the time thus spent cannot fail to be profitable in the future4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,iii4--,,the ,,horse ,,fair 7,national ,gallery1 ,london7 ,this painting is considered by some critics to be ,rosa ,bonheur's masterpiece4 ,there is no other painting of hers in which she attained the same degree of power1 or the same degree of truth in individual expression4 ,what naturalness1 and what vigour in this drove of prancing horses1 and what movement of those haunches straining under the effort of the muscles6 ,during this period of study1 she was living in the ,rue de la ,bienfaisance2 her father's mania for changing his residence dragged her successively to the ,rue du ,roule1 and then to the ,rue ,rumford1 in the level stretch of the ,monceau quarter1 where ,raymond ,bonheur1 who had just remarried1 installed his new household4 ,at that time the ,rue ,rumford was practically in the open country4 ,on all sides there were farms abundantly stocked with cows1 sheep1 pigs1 and poultry4 ,this was an unforeseen piece of good fortune for young ,rosa1 and she felt her passionate love for animals reawaken4 ,equipped with her pencils1 she installed herself at a farm at ,villiers1 near to the park of ,neuilly1 and there she would spend the entire day1 striving to catch and record the different attitudes of her favourite models4 ,for the sake of greater accuracy1 she made a study of the anatomy of animals1 and even did some work in dissection4 ,not content with this1 she applied herself to sculpture1 and made models of the animals in clay or wax before drawing them4 ,this is how she came to acquire her clever talent for sculpture which would have sufficed to establish a reputation if she had not become the admirable painter that we know her to have been4 ,her special path was now determined3 she would be a painter of animals4 ,she understood them1 she knew them1 and loved them4 ,but it did not satisfy her to study them out-of-doors2 she wanted them in her own home4 ,she persuaded her father to admit a sheep into the apartment2 then1 little by little1 the menagerie was increased by a goat1 a dog1 a squirrel1 some caged birds1 and a number of quails that roamed at liberty about her room4 ,at last1 in #ahda1 after years of devoted toil1 ,rosa ventured to offer to the ,salon a little painting representing ,two ,rabbits and a drawing depicting some ,dogs and ,sheep4 ,both the drawing and the painting were accepted4 ,it was an occasion of great rejoicing both for ,rosa ,bonheur and for her father4 ,the young artist was at this time only nineteen years of age4 ,from this time forward1 she sent pictures to the ,salon annually4 ,during the first years her exhibits passed unnoticed2 but little by little her sincerity and the vigour of her talent made an impression upon the critics4 ,the latter were soon forced to admire the intense relief of her method of painting1 living animals transcribed in full action1 and their different physiognomies rendered with admirable fidelity and art4 ,but what labour it cost to arrive at this degree of perfection6 ,every morning1 the young artist made the rounds of slaughter-houses1 markets1 the ,museum1 anywhere and everywhere that she might see and study animals4 ,and this was destined to continue throughout her entire life4 ,in #ahdb she sent three paintings to the ,salon3 namely1 an ,evening ,effect in a ,pasture1 a ,cow lying in a ,pasture1 and a ,horse for ,sale2 and in addition to these1 a terra-cotta1 the ,shorn ,sheep1 which received the approval of the critics4 ,and no less praise was bestowed upon her paintings1 which showed a talent for landscape fully equal to her mastery of animal portraiture4 ,her success was progressive4 ,her pictures in the ,salon of #ahdc sold to advantage and ,rosa ,bonheur was able to travel4 ,she brought home from her trip five works that found a place in the ,salon of #ahde4 ,the following year her exhibits produced a sensation4 ,anatole de la ,forge devoted an enthusiastic article to her1 and the jury awarded her a third-class medal4 ,in #ahde1 ,rosa ,bonheur herself relates1 the recipients had to go in person to obtain their medals at the director's office4 ,i went1 armed with all the courage of my twenty-three years4 ,the director of fine-arts complimented me and presented the medal in the name of the king4 ,imagine his stupefaction when ,i replied3 ',i beg of you1 ,monsieur1 to thank the king on my behalf1 and be so kind as to add that ,i shall try to do better another time4' ,rosa ,bonheur kept her word3 her whole life was a long and sustained effort to do better4 ,after the ,salon of #ahdf1 where she was represented by five remarkable exhibits1 she paid a visit to ,auvergne1 where she was able to study a breed of cattle very different from any that she had hitherto seen and painted3 superb animals of massive build1 with compact bodies1 short and powerful legs1 and wide-spread nostrils4 ,the sheep and horses also had a characteristic physiognomy that was strongly marked and noted with scrupulous care1 and enabled her to reappear in the ,salon of #ahdg with new types that gathered crowds around her canvases1 to stare in wonderment at these animals which were so obviously different from those which academic convention was in the habit of showing them4 ,the general public admired1 and so did the critics4 ,it was only the jury that remained hostile towards this independent and personal manner of painting1 which ignored the established procedure of the schools and based itself wholly upon inspiration and sincerity2 accordingly1 they always took pains to place her pictures in obscure corners or at inaccessible heights4 ,the public1 however1 which always finds its way to what it likes1 took pains on its part to discover and enjoy them4 ,in #ahdh ,rosa ,bonheur had her revenge4 ,the recently proclaimed ,republic1 wishing to show its generosity towards artists1 decreed that all works offered that year to the ,salon should without exception be received4 ,as to the awards1 they were to be determined by a jury from which the official and administrative element was to be henceforth banished4 ,the judges were ,lon ,cogniet1 ,ingres1 ,delacroix1 ,horace ,vernet1 ,decamps1 ,robert-,fleury1 ,ary ,scheffer1 ,meissonier1 ,corot1 ,paul ,delaroche1 ,jules ,dupr1 ,isabey1 ,drolling1 ,flandrin1 and ,roqueplan4 ,rosa ,bonheur exhibited six paintings and two pieces of sculpture4 ,the paintings comprised3 ,oxen and ,bulls 7,cantal ,breed71 ,sheep in a ,pasture1 ,salers ,oxen ,grazing1 a ,running ,dog 7,vende breed71 ,the ,miller ,walking1 ,an ,ox4 ,the two bronzes represented a ,bull and a ,sheep4 ,her success was complete4 ,judged by her peers1 in the absence of academic prejudice1 she obtained a medal of the first class4 ,this year an event took place in her domestic life4 ,as a result of recent remarriage1 her father had a son1 ,germain ,bonheur4 ,the house had become too small for the now enlarged family2 besides1 the crying of the child1 and the constant coming and going necessitated by the care that it required seriously interfered with ,rosa's work4 ,accordingly she left her home in the ,rue ,rumford and took a studio in the ,rue de l',ouest4 ,she was accompanied by ,mlle4 ,micas1 the old-time friend of her childhood1 whom she had rediscovered1 and who from this time forth attached herself to ,rosa with a devotion surpassing that of a sister1 and almost like that of a mother4 ,she also was an artist and took a studio adjoining that of her friend2 several times she collaborated on ,rosa's canvases1 when the latter was over-burdened with work4 ,after ,rosa had sketched her landscape and blocked in her animals1 ,mlle4 ,micas would carry the work forward1 and ,rosa1 coming after her1 would add the finishing touch of her vigorous and unfaltering brush4 ,but to ,rosa ,bonheur ,mlle4 ,micas meant far more as a friend than as a collaborator4 ,with a devoted and touching tenderness she watched over the material welfare of the great artist1 who was by nature quite indifferent to the material things of life4 ,it was the good and faithful ,nathalie who supervised ,rosa's meals and repaired her garments4 ,she was also a good counsellor1 and on many different occasions ,rosa ,bonheur paid tribute to the intelligence and devotion of her friend4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,iv4--,,ploughing ,,in ,,the ,,nivernais 7,luxembourg ,museum7 ,this painting shows the artist in the full possession of her vigorous and unfaltering talent4 ,the ,luxembourg is to-day proud of the possession of such a masterpiece4 ,it testifies to ,rosa ,bonheur's equal eminence as an animal painter and a painter of landscapes4 ,the resplendent successes of recent ,salons had in no wise diminished ,rosa ,bonheur's ardent passion for study4 ,in contrast to many another artist1 who think that there is nothing more to learn1 as soon as they become known1 she persevered without respite in her painful drudgery of research and documentation4 ,every day she covered the distance from the ,rue de l',ouest to the slaughter-houses in order to catch some hitherto unknown aspect of animal life1 and to note the quivering of the wretched beast that scents the blood and foresees its approaching death4 ,there was much that was disagreeable for a young woman in this daily promiscuous contact with butchers1 heavy1 tactless brutes1 who frequently insulted her with their vulgar and suggestive jokes4 ,she pretended not to understand1 but nothing short of her unconquerable passion for study would have sustained her courage4 ,together with the success of recognition came the success of prosperity4 ,rosa began to sell her paintings profitably4 ,a certain shirt-manufacturer1 ,m4 ,bourges1 who was also an art collector1 acquired a goodly number of her works2 and after him came ,m4 ,tedesco1 the celebrated picture dealer1 who was a keen admirer of her talent4 ,in #ahdi1 the far reaching renown of her ,ploughing in the ,nivernais brought her the honour of making a sale to the ,state1 which acquired the celebrated painting for the ,museum of the ,luxembourg1 where it still remains4 ,the subject of the picture is well known3 in a pleasant stretch of rolling country1 bounded by a wooded slope1 two teams of oxen are dragging their heavy ploughs and turning up a field in which we see the furrows that have already been laid open4 ,the whole interest centres in the team in the foreground4 ,the six oxen which compose it1 ponderous and slow1 convey a striking impression of tranquil force3 and from the different attitudes of the six1 we perceive a progression in the degree of effort put forth to drag the plough4 ,the first two move with a heavy nonchalance that bears witness to the slight contribution that they make to the task2 the next two1 being nearer the plough1 are doing more real work2 their straining limbs sink deeper into the earth and their lowered heads indicate the greater tension of their muscles4 ,as to the last two1 they are sustaining the heaviest part of the toil1 as is apparent from the way in which their muscles visibly stand out1 and from the contraction of their limbs gathered under them in the effort to drag free the weight of the ploughshare buried in the soil4 ,it is only those who never have witnessed the tilling of the soil who could remain unmoved in the presence of such a work4 ,the oxen are admirable in composition1 in action1 in modelling1 and in strength4 ,and what is to be said of the landscape which is bathed in a clear1 bright light1 flecked here and there with trails of fleecy cloud8 ,it seemed that after such a picture1 it would be impossible for ,rosa ,bonheur to rise to a greater height of perfection4 ,nevertheless1 three years later she exhibited her ,horse ,fair1 a remarkable achievement which raised her while still living to the pinnacle of glory4 ,the ,horse ,fair is not only the artist's masterpiece1 but it is one of those productions which do the greatest honour to ,french painting4 ,celebrated from the day of its first appearance1 this canvas has steadily gained in the esteem of the world of art and was destined to bring1 even in our own times1 the fabulous price attained by certain paintings by ,rembrandt1 ,raphael1 and ,holbein4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,v4--,,ossian',s ,,dream 7,rosa ,bonheur ,studio1 ,peyrol ,collection7 ,a fantasy by the great artist4 ,during her visit to ,scotland her soul had thrilled at the recital of poetic legends2 and this is one of these dreams that she has rendered in an inspired page1 in which she reveals her mastery of a type of subject which she undertook only accidentally4 ,in preparation for her ,horse ,fair1 ,rosa ,bonheur betook herself daily to the spot where the fair was held4 ,but having learned wisdom through the embarrassment of her experiences at the slaughter-house1 she assumed masculine garments1 in order to attract less attention4 ,she formed the habit of assuming them frequently from that time onward1 especially in her studio4 ,in spite of its triumphal success1 the ,horse ,fair did not immediately find a purchaser and was returned to the artist's studio4 ,it was acquired later on by ,mr4 ,gambard1 the great ,london picture dealer1 for the sum of #dj1jjj francs4 ,this celebrated canvas has a lengthy history which deserves to be related4 ,in coming to terms with ,mr4 ,gambard1 ,rosa ,bonheur1 who was never avaricious1 feared that she had exacted too large a sum in demanding #dj1jjj francs4 ,since the purchaser desired to reproduce the picture in the form of an engraving1 and its dimensions were so great as to hamper considerably the work of the engraver1 she offered to make ,mr4 ,gambard1 without extra charge1 a reduced replica of the ,horse ,fair1 one-quarter the original size4 ,mr4 ,gambard1 who was making an excellent bargain1 accepted with an eagerness that it is easy to imagine4 ,the reduced copy was delivered and was immediately purchased by an ,english art fancier1 ,mr4 ,jacob ,bell1 for the sum of #be1jjj francs4 ,as for the original1 it was exhibited in the ,pall ,mall gallery1 but its vast dimensions discouraged purchasers4 ,it was at last acquired by an ,american1 ,mr4 ,wright1 at the cost of #cj1jjj francs1 on condition that ,mr4 ,gambard might retain possession for two or three years longer1 in order to exhibit it in ,england and the ,united ,states4 ,when the moment for delivery arrived1 the ,american claimed that he was entitled to a share of the profits resulting from the exhibition of the work4 ,as a consequence1 the picture which was originally purchased by ,mr4 ,gambard for #dj1jjj francs1 eventually brought him in only #bc1jjj1 while the reduced replica1 which cost him nothing1 brought him in #be1jjj francs4 ,considerably later1 the ,american owner having met with reverses1 the ,horse ,fair was sold at public auction and was knocked down at #ec1jjj 7#bfe1jjj francs7 to ,mr4 ,vanderbilt1 who presented it to the ,metropolitan ,museum of ,art4 ,as to the reduced copy1 the property of ,mr4 ,jacob ,bell1 the latter bequeathed it1 together with his other paintings1 to the ,national ,gallery1 where it now is4 ,the reproduction which we give in the present volume was made from this smaller copy4 ,when ,rosa ,bonheur learned that this reduced replica was to find a place in the ,national ,gallery1 she exhibited a scrupulousness that well illustrates her honesty and disinterestedness4 ,since it was originally painted merely to serve as a model for the engraver1 the artist had not given it the finish that she was accustomed to give to her pictures4 ,accordingly1 she set to work for the third time to paint the ,horse ,fair1 and bestowed upon it such conscientious work and mature talent that in the opinion of some judges this second replica is superior to the original4 ,when the canvas was finished1 she offered it to the ,london ,gallery4 ,the ,english authorities were deeply touched by the scrupulousness of the famous artist1 and thanked her cordially1 but explained that they felt themselves bound by the terms of the ,jacob ,bell bequest1 and consequently could not take advantage of her generous offer4 ,the work1 nevertheless1 remained in ,england1 having been purchased by a ,mr4 ,mac,connel for #b1ejj francs4 ,after her immense success at the ,salon of #ahed1 ,rosa ,bonheur gave up her studio in the ,rue de l',ouest1 and installed herself in the ,rue d',assas1 in a studio which she had had built expressly to suit her needs4 ,,the ,,years ,,of ,,glory ,the new studio in the ,rue d',assas was very far from being a commonplace studio4 ,it was situated in the rear of a large court1 and occupied the entire rear building4 ,it was an immense room1 with a broad1 high window1 through which a superb flood of daylight streamed in2 and from floor to ceiling the walls were lined with studies1 drawings1 sketches1 rough essays in colour1 that the great artist had brought back from her travels4 ,so far1 nothing the least out of the ordinary4 ,but what gave the establishment its picturesque and curious character was the court-yard1 transformed by ,rosa ,bonheur into a veritable farm4 ,under shelters arranged along the walls a variety of animals roamed at will3 goats1 heifers of pure ,berri breed1 a ram1 an otter1 a monkey1 a pack of dogs1 and her favourite mare1 ,margot4 ,mingled with the divers cries of this heterogeneous menagerie1 were the bewildering twitterings of an assortment of birds1 the clucking of hens1 the sonorous quack-quack of ducks1 and dominating all the rest1 the strident screams of numerous parrakeets4 ,and all this was only one part of her menagerie2 the rest was domiciled at her country place at ,chevilly1 where she also had another studio4 ,even in the country ,rosa ,bonheur had no chance to rest4 ,she had now become celebrated1 and the patrons of art fought among themselves for her productions4 ,the two art firms of ,tedesco in ,paris and ,gambard in ,london deluged her with orders2 and1 in spite of her courage1 she could hardly keep pace with them4 ,her reputation had overleaped frontiers2 she was as celebrated abroad as she was in ,france4 ,the city of ,ghent1 to which she had loaned the ,horse ,fair for its exposition1 demonstrated its gratitude by sending her an official delegation headed by the burgomaster himself1 to present her with a jewel of much value4 ,her talent was no longer open to question2 everyone agreed in recognizing it4 ,the critics saw in her far more than a conscientious and gifted artist2 they regarded her as the inspired interpreter of rural life4 ,the work of ,rosa ,bonheur1 wrote ,anatole de la ,forge in #ahee1 might be entitled the ,hymn to ,labour4 ,here she shows us the tillage of the soil2 there1 the sowing2 further on1 the reaping of the hay1 and then that of the grain2 elsewhere the vintage2 always and everywhere1 the labour of the field4 ,man1 under her inspired touch1 appears only as a docile instrument1 placed here by the hand of ,god in order to extract from the bowels of the earth the eternal riches that it contains4 ,also1 in depicting him as associated with the toil of animals1 she shows him to us only under a useful and noble aspect2 now at the head of his oxen1 bringing home the wagons heavily laden with the fruit of the harvest2 or again1 with his hand gripping the plough1 cleaving the soil to render it more productive4 ,and ,mazure1 writing at the same period1 declared3 ,next to the old ,dutch painters1 and better than the early landscape artists in ,france1 we have in our own day some very clever painters of cattle4 ,they are ,messieurs ,brascassat1 ,coignard1 ,palizzi1 and ,troyon1 and more especially a woman1 ,mlle4 ,rosa ,bonheur1 who carries this order of talent to the point of genius4 ,several of them must be praised for the art with which they work their animals into the setting of the landscape2 but if we consider the painting of the animals themselves1 regardless of the landscape1 and if what we are seeking is a monograph on the labour of the fields1 nothing can compare with the artist whose name stands last in the above list4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,vi4--,,the ,,duel 7,collection of ,messrs4 ,lefvre1 ,london7 ,this picture is one of the last that ,rosa ,bonheur painted4 ,it is celebrated in ,england because of the reputation of the two horses who are engaged in this passionate duel1 on which the artist has expended all the resources of her marvellous talent4 ,equally enthusiastic over her paintings was ,mr4 ,gambard1 who supplemented his enthusiasm with a very warm personal friendship for the great artist4 ,he had several times invited her to visit ,england2 in #ahed ,rosa ,bonheur made up her mind to take the journey1 accompanied by ,mlle4 ,micas4 ,it proved to be a triumphal journey4 ,after a sojourn at the ,rectory at ,wexham1 with ,mr4 ,gambard as host1--a sojourn marked by official invitations and delicate attentions1--,rosa ,bonheur made a long excursion into ,scotland1 accompanied by friends across the ,channel4 ,this cattle-raising land stirred her to a passionate interest4 ,in the fields through which her route lay cattle came into view from time to time2 and hereupon the artist would have the carriage halted1 and take notes upon her drawing tablets4 ,each herd that was encountered meant a new halt and new sketches4 ,the great fair at ,falkirk1 to which herds were brought from every corner of ,scotland1 afforded her a unique opportunity for observations and studies4 ,from morning until evening she plied her pencil feverishly1 accumulating material for future paintings4 ,at this same fair she purchased a young bull and five superb oxen1 to help complete her menagerie4 ,from this journey she brought back a number of pictures of remarkable vigour and beauty4 ,they include a ,morning in the ,highlands1 ,denizens of the ,highlands1 ,changing ,pasture1 ,after a ,storm in the ,highlands1 etc41 etc4 ,rosa ,bonheur returned to her studio in the ,rue d',assas and immediately prepared her exhibits for the ,universal ,exposition of #ahee4 ,she was represented there by a ,hay ,harvest in ,auvergne1 which brought her the grand medal of honour4 ,from this time forward ,rosa ,bonheur ceased to exhibit at the ,salons4 ,she believed1 and not without reason1 that her reputation had nothing more to gain by these annual offerings1 which interrupted her more productive work4 ,she had given herself freely to the public2 henceforth she sought only to satisfy the demands of the patrons of art1 who1 in daily increasing numbers1 besieged her with their orders4 ,she worked chiefly for the ,english1 who had given her so warm a welcome1 and who1 perhaps1 had a better sense than the ,french have1 of the beauty of the life of the soil4 ,the ,frenchman1 good judge that he is in matters of art1 duly admires a beautiful work1 regardless of its subject2 he is able to appreciate the composition of an agricultural scene1 but1 being little inclined by nature to the work of the fields1 he will rarely feel a desire to adorn the walls of his apartment with a ,harvest ,scene or ,grazing ,cattle2 he assumes that it is the business of the museums to acquire pictures of this order4 ,the ,englishman is quite different4 ,as a landed proprietor deeply attached to his ancestral acres1 he appreciates paintings of rural life1 less as an artist than professionally1 as a gentleman-farmer who knows all the breeds of cattle and sheep and to whom ,rosa ,bonheur's paintings were at this epoch veritable documents1 quite as much as they were works of art4 ,in #ahfj1 she gave up her studio in the ,rue d',assas1 as well as the one at ,chevilly1 in order to install herself at ,by1 in the chateau of ,by which she had purchased for #ej1jjj francs and in which she had a vast studio constructed4 ,hither she transferred her imposing menagerie which had grown year by year through new acquisitions4 ,it included sheep1 gazelles1 stags1 does1 kids1 an eagle1 various other birds1 horses1 goats1 watch dogs1 hunting dogs1 greyhounds1 wild boars1 lions1 a yak 7an animal known by the name of the grunting ox of ,tartary71 monkeys1 parrakeets1 marmosets1 squirrels1 ferrets1 turtles1 green lizards1 ,iceland ponies1 moufflons1 lizards1 wild ,american mustangs1 bulls1 cows1 etc4 ,rosa ,bonheur worked with desperate energy in the midst of her models and delighted in portraying them in a setting of some one of those picturesque and impressive vistas of the forest of ,fontainebleau1 adjacent to her own residence4 ,she was unremittingly productive2 yet ,france hardly heard her name mentioned save as an echo of her triumphs abroad4 ,england has gone wild over her paintings2 and ,america was not slow in following suit4 ,but the echo was so loud1 especially after the ,universal ,exposition at ,london in #ahfb1 that the government three years later made her ,chevalier of the ,legion of ,honour4 ,rosa ,bonheur has given her own account of the event3 ,in #ahfe1 she writes1 ,i was busily engaged one afternoon over my pictures 7,i had the ,stags at ,long-,rocher on my easel71 when ,i heard the cracking of a postillion's whip and the rumble of a carriage4 ,my little maid ,flicit entered the studio in great excitement3 ',mademoiselle1 mademoiselle6 ,her ,majesty the ,empress6' ,i had barely time to slip on a linen skirt and exchange my long blue blouse for a velvet jacket4 ',i have here1' the empress told me1 'a little gift which ,i have brought you on behalf of the ,emperor4 ,he has authorized me to take advantage of the last day of my regency to announce your appointment to the ,legion of ,honour4' ,and in conferring the title1 she kissed the newly made ,chevalier and pinned the cross upon my velvet jacket4 ,a few days later ,i received an invitation to take breakfast at ,fontainebleau where the ,imperial ,court was installed4 ,on the appointed day1 they sent to fetch me in gala equipage4 ,on arriving1 ,i mistook the door and was about to lose my way1 when ,m4 ,mocquard came to my rescue and offered his arm to escort me4 ,at breakfast1 ,i was placed beside the ,emperor and throughout the whole repast he talked to me regarding the intelligence of animals4 ,the ,empress afterwards took me for an excursion on the lake in a gondola4 ,the ,prince ,imperial1 who had previously called upon me at ,by1 accompanied us4 ,this visit to the ,court greatly interested me1 but ,i think that ,i must have been a disappointment to ,princess ,metternich who amused herself with watching my every movement1 expecting no doubt to see me commit some breach of etiquette4 ,in acknowledgment of the distinguished honour she had received from the ,emperor1 ,rosa ,bonheur felt that she was in duty bound to be represented at the ,universal ,exposition of #ahfg4 ,accordingly1 she sent no less than ten remarkable works3 ,donkey ,drivers of ,aragon1 ,ponies ,from the ,isle of ,skye1 ,sheep on the ,seashore1 ,a ,ship1 ,oxen and ,cows1 ,kids ,resting1 ,a ,shepherd in ,barn1 ,the ,razzia1 etc4 ,all that she obtained was a medal of the second class4 ,the judges owed her a grudge because of her long neglect of twelve years4 ,there could be no question of disputing her talent1 but they resented her having employed it solely for the benefit of ,england4 ,the critics showed her the same coldness1 courteous but unmistakable4 ,in some of the articles1 she was referred to as ,miss ,rosa ,bonheur4 ,some little injustice was intermingled with this show of hostility2 ,troyon was exalted at her expense2 and her animals were criticized as being purplish and cottony4 ,furthermore1 they reproached her with the fact that all the pictures exhibited were owned by ,englishmen1 with the single exception of the ,sheep on the ,seashore1 which was the property of the ,empress4 ,it is necessary here to open a parenthesis and refer to a period in the life of the great artist which should not be passed over in silence3 the period of her art school4 ,for this purpose we must turn back to the year #ahdi4 ,at that time ,raymond ,bonheur who1 as we know1 gave drawing lessons1 was directing a school of design for young girls1 situated in the ,rue ,dupuytren4 ,one year after his appointment as director1 ,raymond ,bonheur died and the direction of the school was instructed to ,rosa1 who enlisted the aid of her sister1 also a painter of some talent1 who was subsequently married to ,m4 ,peyrol4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,vii4--,,tigers 7,rosa ,bonheur ,studio1 at ,by7 ,rosa ,bonheur spent entire days in the ,jardin des ,plantes1 or in menageries in order to catch the attitudes and the mobile physiognomies of the beasts of prey4 ,accordingly no other artist has attained such perfect truth1 as is shown in the tigers here portrayed4 ,rosa ,bonheur fulfilled her duties with much devotion and intelligence4 ,she herself had too high a regard for line-work to fail to bring to her task as teacher all of her ardent faith as an artist4 ,she divided the scheme of instruction into two series1 one of the great studies of animals and the other of little studies4 ,rosa ,bonheur was not always an agreeable teacher2 she made a show of authority1 not to say severity4 ,she would not excuse laziness or negligence1 and when a pupil showed her a drawing that was obviously done in a hurry she would grow indignant3 ,go back to your mother1 she would say1 and mend your stockings or do embroidery work4 ,but this pedagogical rigour was promptly offset by a return of her natural kindliness1 a jesting word1 a pleasantry1 an affectionate term intended to prevent the discouragement of a pupil who often was guilty of nothing worse than thoughtlessness4 ,under her firm and able guidance1 the school achieved success4 ,many of her graduate pupils attained an honourable career in painting1 and if no name worthy of being remembered is included among the whole number1 the reason is that genius cannot be manufactured and that it was not within the power of ,rosa ,bonheur to give to her young pupils something of herself4 ,in #ahfj1 the great artist1 being overburdened with work and unable to carry on simultaneously the instruction and practice of her art1 resigned her position as director4 ,the school passed into the hands of ,mlle4 ,maraudon de ,monthycle1 who won distinction as a director1 but did not succeed in making the name of ,rosa ,bonheur forgotten4 ,the time of her retirement as professor of the school of design coincides with that of her installation at ,by4 ,after having in a measure obeyed the paternal tradition of repeated removals1 she was this time definitely established4 ,it was destined to be her last residence2 and it certainly was an attractive place1 that great chateau of ,by1 with its broad windows and its original style1 which called to mind certain dwellings in ,holland4 ,and what a delightful setting it had in the shape of the forest of ,fontainebleau1 so varied in aspect1 so rich in picturesque corners1 so alluring with the beauty of its dense woodlands1 and the poetry of its open glades6 ,rosa ,bonheur was always passionately enamoured of nature1 of the entire work of creation4 ,she adored animals neither more nor less than she loved beautiful trees and broad horizons2 she went into ecstacies before the splendour of the rising sun which day by day brings a renewed thrill of life to all things and creatures2 and it was equally one of her joys to watch the diffused light spreading softly through a misty haze over the slumbering earth4 ,rosa ,bonheur had no sooner withdrawn to the solitude of ,by than she sought1 as we have already seen1 to become forgotten1 in order to devote herself exclusively to the innumerable tasks which incessant orders from ,england and ,america demanded of her4 ,she planned for herself a laborious and tranquil existence1 rendered all the pleasanter through the devoted and watchful affection of her old friend1 ,mlle4 ,nathalie ,micas1 who lived with her4 ,we have seen that she came out of her voluntary obscurity in #ahfg to the extent of sending a few pictures to the ,universal ,exposition4 ,from this date onward she ceased to exhibit1 and no other canvas bearing her signature was seen in public until the ,salon of #ahii1 which was the year of her death4 ,relieved of all outside interruption1 ,rosa ,bonheur worked with indefatigable energy4 ,yet she could hardly keep pace with the demands of her purchasers1 who were constantly increasing in number and constantly more urgent4 ,her paintings had acquired a vogue abroad and brought their weight in gold4 ,certain pictures brought speculative prices in ,america even before they were finished and while they were still on the easel at ,by4 ,at this period1 it may be added1 everything which came from the artist's brush possessed an incomparable and masterly finish4 ,never a suggestion of weakness in design even in her most hastily executed canvases4 ,i must at once add that hasty canvases are extremely rare in the life work of ,rosa ,bonheur2 she had too high a sense of duty to her art and too great a respect for her own name to slight any necessary work on a canvas4 ,certain pictures appear to have been done rapidly solely because the artist possessed among her portfolios fragmentary studies made from nature and drawn with scrupulous care1 and all that she needed to do was to transfer them to her canvas4 ,from the host of works that the artist put forth at this period1 we may cite3 #ahfe1 ,changing ,pasture1 ,a ,family of ,roebuck2 #ahfg1 ,kids ,resting2 #ahfh1 ,shetland ,ponies2 #ahfi1 ,sheep in ,brittany2 #ahgj1 ,the ,cartload of ,stones4 ,the war of #ahgj brought consternation to her patriotic soul4 ,she suffered cruelly from the ills which had befallen her country4 ,generous by nature and a ,french woman to her inmost fibre1 she did her utmost to relieve the suffering that she saw around her as a result of the ,prussian invasion4 ,she spoke words of comfort to the peasants and aided them with donations1 distributing bags of grain that were sent to her by her friend ,gambard1 at this time consul at ,odessa4 ,one day a ,prussian officer of high rank presented himself at her home in the name of ,prince ,karl-,frederick4 ,the latter1 who was a confirmed admirer of the artist1 whom he had met in former years1 sent her an order of safe-conduct which would place her and her belongings beyond the danger of any annoyance4 ,rosa ,bonheur ran her eye over the paper and in the presence of the officer tore it into tiny pieces4 ,nobly and simply the great artist refused to accept any favours1 feeling1 in view of the existing painful circumstances1 that it would be a shameful thing for her to do4 ,a ,french woman before all else1 she submitted in advance to all the abuses and exigencies of the conquerors4 ,on another occasion1 a ,german prince came to ,by1 to pay his respects4 ,she refused to receive him4 ,we should add that the ,prussians1 whose excesses and brutalities were so frequent during that campaign1 had the wisdom not to meddle with ,rosa ,bonheur4 ,after the treaty of peace was signed1 she set herself eagerly to work once more4 ,i was occupied at that time1 she wrote1 in studying the big cats2 ,i made sketches at the ,jardin des ,plantes1 in the circuses1 in the menageries1 anywhere and everywhere that ,i could find lions and panthers4 ,this is the epoch from which dates that admirable series of wild beasts in which ,rosa ,bonheur manifests a power of expression and virility of execution that she never before had occasion to display1 and that seem absolutely incredible as coming from the brush of a woman4 ,no other painter has rendered with greater truth and force the undulous and elastic movements of the panther or the tiger2 ,barye himself1 in his admirable bronzes1 has never endowed his lions with greater life or more majestic grandeur than ,rosa ,bonheur has done4 ,the latter1 with her astounding memory and with an eye as profound and luminous as a photographic lens1 caught and retained the most fugitive expressions on the mobile physiognomy of the great cats4 ,she noted them down with rapid and unfaltering pencil2 the painting of the picture after this was a mere matter of execution4 ,is there any finer presentment of the tranquil beauty of a lion in repose than ,the ,lion ,meditating8 ,beneath the royal mane1 his features have a haughty placidity and his eyes a serene intentness that are admirably rendered4 ,the ,lion ,roaring is possibly even more beautiful1 because of the difficulty which the artist had to overcome in catching the peculiarly rapid and mobile expression which accompanies the act of roaring4 ,under the effort of his tense muscles1 the mane rises1 bristling1 around the powerful neck and above the straining head4 ,there is nothing cruel in the physiognomy of this lion3 his roaring is not the cry of the beast of prey scenting his victim1 but the call of the desert king1 saluting the rising orb of day or the descending night4 ,the artist has admirably expressed this difference in a foreshortening of the head which ,correggio or ,veronese might have envied her4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,viii4--,,trampling ,,the ,,grain 7,rosa ,bonheur ,studio1 at ,by7 ,this work1 which was her last1 is one of the most beautiful of all that ,rosa ,bonheur painted because of the intensity of the movement which sweeps the horses in a superb headlong rush1 over the heaped-up grain which they trample under foot4 ,this splendid canvas remains unfinished1 death having overtaken the noble artist before the final touches had been added4 ,in all the animals that she painted1--and she painted nearly all the animals there are1--,rosa ,bonheur succeeded in reproducing their separate characteristic expressions1 the amount of soul which nature has bestowed upon them4 ,m4 ,roger ,mils1 the excellent art critic1 from whom we have frequently borrowed in the course of this biography1 expresses it in the following admirable manner3 ,through the infinite study that she made of animals1 ,rosa ,bonheur reached the conviction that their expression must be the interpretation of a soul1 and since she understood the types and the species that her brush reproduced1 she was able1 through an instinct of extraordinary precision1 to endow them1 one and all1 with precisely the glance and the psychic intensity that belongs to them4 ,she takes the animals in the environment in which they live1 in the setting with which their form harmonizes1 in short1 in the conditions that have played an essential part in their evolution1 and she records with inflexible sincerity what nature places beneath her eyes and what her patient study has permitted her to understand4 ,it is more especially for this reason1 among many others1 that the work of ,rosa ,bonheur deserves to live1 and that the eminent artist stands to-day as one of the most finished animal painters with which the history of our national art is honoured4 ,in the peaceful and laborious atmosphere of ,by1 the years slipped happily away4 ,but before long a cloud came to darken this serenity4 ,the health of her tenderly loved friend1 ,mlle4 ,micas1 began to decline2 the doctor ordered a southern climate4 ,rosa ,bonheur did not hesitate2 she had a villa built at ,nice1 and every year1 during the winter1 the artist accompanied her beloved invalid to the land of sunshine4 ,these annual changes of climate and the care with which ,rosa ,bonheur surrounded her friend certainly delayed the fatal issue4 ,but the disease had taken too deep a hold4 ,mlle4 ,micas passed away on the #bdth of ,june1 #ahhi4 ,this loss broke my heart1 wrote the artist4 ,it was a long time before ,i could find in my work any relief from my bitter pain4 ,i think of her every day and ,i bless the memory of that soul which was so closely in touch with my own4 ,from that day onward1 ,rosa ,bonheur became a prey to melancholy1 and her thoughts turned ceaselessly to the tender friend whom she had lost forever4 ,none the less1 she continued to work with dogged energy1 quite as much to deaden her pain as to satisfy the ever increasing orders4 ,a great joy1 however1 came to her in the midst of her sorrow4 ,president ,carnot1 imitating the ,emperor1 came in person to bring her the ,cross of ,officer of the ,legion of ,honour4 ,she was keenly appreciative of such a mark of high courtesy1 which was at the same time a well deserved recompense for an entire life consecrated to art4 ,rosa ,bonheur possessed a number of decorations1 notably the ,cross of ,san ,carlos of ,mexico which was given her by the ,empress ,charlotte1 the ,cross of ,commander of the ,order of ,isabella the ,catholic1 the ,belgian ,cross of ,leopold1 the ,cross of ,saint ,james of ,portugal1 etc4 ,the noble artist accepted these distinctions gratefully1 but was in no way vain of them1 for no woman was ever more simple or more modest than she4 ,at about this epoch1 she devoted herself for a time to pastel work1 and in #ahig exhibited four examples of ample dimensions and representing various animals4 ,the whole city of ,paris flocked to this exhibition and unanimously proclaimed her talent as a pastel painter4 ,it was also about this time that she gained a new friend whose devotion1 although it did not make her forget her beloved ,nathalie ,micas1 at least in a measure softened the bitterness of her loss4 ,a young ,american1 ,miss ,anna ,klumpke1 who was an enthusiastic admirer of ,rosa ,bonheur1 and who herself had some talent for painting1 presented herself one day at ,by and begged the favour of an interview with the artist4 ,the latter received her with her wonted graciousness4 ,the conversation turned upon art4 ,the young girl emboldened1 by her hostess's kindness1 ventured to ask if she might come to take a few lessons1 and at the same time showed a few sketches4 ,rosa ,bonheur examined them and discovered not merely promise1 but what was better1 an unmistakable talent4 ,she not only acquiesced to ,miss ,klumpke's desire2 she did even better1 she offered the hospitality of her own home4 ,miss ,klumpke's visit1 which was to have been for only a short time1 became permanent2 a substantial friendship was formed between the two women2 it was ,miss ,anna ,klumpke who closed the eyes of ,rosa ,bonheur and who was her sole testamentary legatee4 ,she has piously preserved the memory of her benefactress and she has converted the ,chateau of ,by1 which she still occupies1 into a museum filled with relics of the great artist4 ,she has also published an admirable volume upon the life and work of her eminent friend1 that forms a veritable monument of affectionate admiration4 ,rosa ,bonheur was not slow in reverting again to painting and produced her famous picture3 ,the ,duel1 the celebrity of which was almost as great as that of the ,horse ,fair and ,ploughing in the ,nivernais4 ,the duel in question is between two stallions1 and what adds to the interest of the scene is that it is historic and perfectly familiar to all the sporting men of ,england4 ,it was a struggle in which an ,arabian thoroughbred1 ,godolphin-,arabian1 overpowered ,hobgoblin1 another thoroughbred of ,english breed4 ,the mettle of these horses1 fired by the heat of battle1 is interpreted in a masterly fashion4 ,no less perfect is the canvas representing ,the ,threshing of the ,grain1 which it took ,rosa ,bonheur twenty years to bring to completion4 ,over a field in which the sheaves of grain have been strewn1 eleven horses1 drawn life-size1 are driven at full gallop1 trampling the golden tassels under their powerful hoofs4 ,the artist has rarely attained the height of perfection to which this picture bears witness4 ,but at last we come to the close of her career4 ,rosa ,bonheur was seventy-seven years of age1 but in the enjoyment of robust health2 her talent still retained its unvarying power and her hand was still firm4 ,her age was not betrayed in any of her works1 which had the appearance of having been painted in the flood-tide of youth4 ,such is the impression of critics before her painting1 ,a ,cow and ,bull in ,auvergne1 ,cantal ,breed1 which1 contrary to her habit1 she sent to the ,salon4 ,the praise was unanimous2 they even talked of awarding her the medal of honour which she refused in a letter of great beauty and dignity4 ,it seemed at that time that the artist would enjoy her robust old age for a long time to come1 when a congestion of the lungs prostrated her suddenly and the end came in a few days4 ,she died on the #beth of ,may1 #ahii4 ,the concert of regrets which greeted her death was touching in its unanimity4 ,without a dissenting note1 without reserve1 the entire press paid tribute to the dignity of her life1 the nobility of her character1 the greatness of her talent4 ,according to her desire1 she was interred in the cemetery of ,pre-,lachaise2 and the cortge which followed her coffin was made up of every eminent figure known to the ,parisian world of art and letters4 ,strangers came in throngs1 especially from ,england4 ,and this innumerable cortge that followed her bier testified more eloquently than any panegyric to the goodness of this admirable artist who had been able to lead a long and glorious career without creating a single enemy4