Rosa Bonheur was among the most accomplished female painters of the 19th century, a time when women were typically not encouraged to pursue fine arts as a profession. Bonheur never married and lived openly as a lesbian. She is remembered for her realist animal paintings and highly detailed bronze animal sculptures.
Bonheur was born in Bordeaux, France, in 1822. Her mother died when she was just 11. Her father, a painter, believed in female education and supported her artistic pursuits. He oversaw Bonheur’s painting education after her unsuccessful apprenticeship as a seamstress.
Bonheur rose to prominence relatively early in her career. In 1848, the French government commissioned a piece for an exhibition at the Paris Salon. The resulting painting, Ploughing in the Nivernais, is today in the collections of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Around this time, she began a relationship with fellow artist Nathalie Micas. The pair remained together for the rest of Micas’s life.
Bonheur’s most famous painting, The Horse Fair, was exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1853 and completed in 1855. It is a depiction of the horse market, where Bonheur went twice a week for a year and a half to work on her sketches. She applied for a police permit to wear men’s clothing for comfort and to dissuade attention. The painting, which measures eight feet across, is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
In 1855, Bonheur’s art dealer introduced her work to the United Kingdom, where her art proved even more popular than in her home country. Her financial success allowed her to move to a large property near Fontainebleau, France, in 1859, where she lived for the rest of her life. It has since been renamed Château de Rosa Bonheur and includes a museum dedicated to her work.
Bonheur was awarded the decoration of the French Legion of Honour in 1865 and was promoted to Officer of the Order in 1894, becoming the first female artist to receive the honor. In 1893, she exhibited at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
Bonheur died in 1899 at the age of 77. She was buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery next to Nathalie Micas.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Rosa Bonheur’s sculptures.
Mid 19th-century Bronze Bellowing Bull Sculpture, Signed
By Rosa Bonheur
Located in San Francisco, CA
This exceptional 19th-century French bronze sculpture is titled Taureau Beuglant (The Bellowing Bull). It was conceived by Rosa Bonheur (1822–1899), one of the most celebrated Animal...
Bronze
Return from the Tiger hunt
By Roger Godchaux 1
Located in PARIS, FR
"Return from the Hunt" also named '"Return from the Tiger hunt" by Roger GODCHAUX (1878-1958) Remarkable bronze group with a nuanced dark greenish brown patina Signed on the base "...
Bronze
$1,695
H 3 in W 12 in D 3 in
Rock The Boat - Modern Figurative Bronze Iron Metal Wall-Mounted Sculpture
By Mireia Serra
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mireia Serra creates sensuous bronze and iron sculptures showing the beauty of snapshots caught in life which are full of emotions and feelings along the life journey. Her metal artw...
Metal, Bronze, Iron
$15,500
H 26.25 in W 8 in D 11.3 in
Die Trinkende Bronze Sculpture, Realist Style, Circa 1900, Unframed
By Victor Heinrich Seifert
Located in New York, NY
Victor Heinrich Seifert (1870 – 1953) Die Trinkende, c. 1900, cast 1906 H 26.25 in. x W 8 in. x D 11.38 inch Bronze with brown patina Original stone pedestal with 1906 inscribed on ...
Bronze
$8,700
H 22 in W 36 in D 12 in
Dance Within - Sky, Bronze & Steel Sculpture, 2000s, Ed/21
By Denny Haskew
Located in Loveland, CO
Dance Within, Wear Only Sky by Denny Haskew Set of 2, Bronze with Stainless Steel, Figures dancing in rings, gold and silver representing yin/yang, masculine/feminine, sun/moon female: 20x18x11" ed/21 male: 22x19x12" ed/21 "Just as the ancients danced to call upon the spirits in nature, we too can dance to find the spirits within ourselves that have long been buried and forgotten." - Anna Halprin ABOUT THE ARTIST: Denny Haskew currently resides in Loveland, Colorado where he is actively engaged in the art industry as a sculptor. He received his degree from the University of Utah, then served two years in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Having spent numerous years as a guide and ski instructor, Denny has learned to love the rivers and mountains of the western states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, and Utah. After moving to Loveland, a hub of successful working sculptors, he wasted no time in getting monumental sculpture experience through working with renowned sculptors including Fritz White and Kent Ullberg N.A. Since 1987, Denny has created and placed dozens of monumental compositions; spanning the full spectrum of the figurative genre. As a member of the Potawatomi Citizen Nation, it is only natural for his artwork to follow the Native American culture. His art has not been limited to Native American and southwestern subjects, however, as he frequently explores abstract forms placing emphasis on the qualities of the metal and stone used. As a Charter member of the National Sculptors' Guild and being close to other sculptors and the Loveland area foundries has helped him to master all the foundry processes involved in producing a desirable and lasting monumental bronze sculpture. Over 50 major public placements include the Smithsonian Institution, DC.; the Gilcrease Museum, OK; Cerritos, CA; Little Rock, AR; the Shakopee Mdewakanton Dakota Sioux collection, MN, and the Barona Band of Mission Indians...
Bronze, Stainless Steel
Sitting Minotaur II
By Beth Carter
Located in Boston, MA
Beth Carter is a visual artist based in Bristol, UK and an Academician at the Royal West of England Academy, UK. Her bronze sculptures and charcoal drawings often integrate the human...
Bronze
$6,400
H 24 in W 18 in D 18 in
At Eagle's Glance, 24-inches high, Contemporary Bronze on Granite Base Sculpture
By Denny Haskew
Located in Loveland, CO
"At Eagle's Glance" by Denny Haskew Bronze on Granite and Wood turntable style base Figurative Native American subject matter 24x18x18" ed/26, available...
Granite, Bronze
Harlequin
By Beth Carter
Located in Boston, MA
Beth Carter is a visual artist based in Bristol, UK and an Academician at the Royal West of England Academy, UK. Her bronze sculptures and charcoal drawings often integrate the human...
Bronze
$4,800
H 26 in W 17 in D 20 in
El Nino, Figurative Bronze Sculpture, Contemporary, Ed/20, Mother and Child
By Denny Haskew
Located in Loveland, CO
El Nino by Denny Haskew Figurative Bronze, Contemporary Madonna and Child 25" x 16" x 20" ed/20 "I am the door to love without conditions When you walk thro...
Bronze
$4,800
H 31 in W 10 in D 10 in
Mother Earth - Father Sky, Bronze Sculpture, Contemporary, Ed/20, 31x10
By Denny Haskew
Located in Loveland, CO
"Mother Earth, Father Sky" by Denny Haskew Expressive Figurative Nude Sculpture 31” x 10” x 9” ed/20 Bronze, Cobalt Patina ABOUT THE ARTIST: Denny Haskew currently resides in Lov...
Bronze
$4,700
H 30 in W 14 in D 9 in
White Deer of Autumn, Bronze Sculpture, Contemporary, Signed, Ed/21
By Denny Haskew
Located in Loveland, CO
White Deer of Autumn by Denny Haskew Figurative Bronze with unique sandstone-like patina. Based on sandstone. 30" x 14" x 9" ed/21 "May the nourishment of ...
Sandstone, Bronze
$8,500
H 38 in W 15 in D 10 in
Committed, Bronze Sculpture, Contemporary Figurative, AP/25, 38-in Tall
By Denny Haskew
Located in Loveland, CO
"Committed" maquette by Denny Haskew Cast Bronze on Travertine and Walnut Base Signed and Numbered AP/25* 38"h 15"w 10"d *This limited edition is sold out, the available piece is t...
Travertine, Bronze
$35,000
H 41 in W 40 in D 20 in
Cutouts Figurative Sculpture, Bronze and Sandstone, 41x40x20 Inches
By Jane DeDecker
Located in Loveland, CO
"Cutouts" by Jane DeDecker Figurative Bronze, 41x40x20" Sandstone bench is included. A girl sits quietly unfolding her paper cutouts. Great piece for a...
Sandstone, Bronze