BONHEUR [MARIE ROSALIE], ROSA (1822-1899)

This article appears in Volume V04, Page 205 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

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BONHEUR [MARIE ROSALIE], ROSA (1822-1899) , French painter, was born at Bordeaux on the 22nd of March 1822. She was of Jewish origin. Jacques Wiener, the Belgian medallist, a native of Venloo, says that he and Raymond Bonheur, Rosa's father, used to attend

synagogue

SYNAGOGUE (avvaywyii)
SYNAGOGUE, UNITED

in that town; while another authority asserts that Rosa used to be known in common parlance by the name of Rosa Mazeltov (a Hebrew term for " good luck," Gallia Bonheur). She was the eldest of four children, all of whom were artistsAuguste (18241884) painted animals and landscape; Juliette (18301891) was " honourably mentioned " at the exhibition of 1855; Isidore, born in 1827, was a sculptor of animals. Rosa at an early age was taught to draw by her
' Annals and Mug. Nat. His'. vol. x. (seventh

series

SERIES (a Latin word from serere, to join)

), p. 309.
father (who died in 1849), and he, perceiving her very remarkable talent, permitted her to abandon the business of dressmaking, to which, much against her will, she had been put, in order to devote herself wholly to art. From 1840 to 1845 she exhibited at the salon, and five times received a prize; in 1848 a medal was awarded to her. Her fame

dates

DATES

more especially from the exhibition of 1855; from that time Rosa Bonheur's works were much sought after in England, where collectors and public galleries competed eagerly for them. What is chiefly remark-able and admirable in her

work

WORK

is that, like her contemporary, Jacques Raymond Brascassat (18041867), she represents animals as they really are, as she saw them in the country. Her

gift

GIFT (a common Teutonic word, cf. Ger. die Gift, gift, das Gift, poison, formed from the Teut. stem gab-, to give, cf. Dutch geven, Ger. geben; in O. Eng. the word appears with initial y, the guttural of later English is due to Scandinavian influence)

of accurate observation was, however, allied to a certain dryness of style in painting; she often failed to give a perfect sense of atmosphere. On the other hand, the anatomy of her animals is always faultlessly true. There is nothing feminine in her handling; her treatment is always manly and firm. Of her many works we may note the following: " Ploughing in the Nivernais " (1848), in the Luxembourg gallery; " The Horse

Fair

FAIR

" (1853), one of the two replicas of which is in the National Gallery, London, the

original

ORIGINAL

being in the United States; and " Hay Harvest in Auvergne " (1855). She was decorated with the Legion of Honour by the empress Eugnie, and was subsequently promoted to the rank of " officer " of the order. After 1867 Rosa Bonheur exhibited but once in the salon, in 1899, a few weeks before her death. She lived quietly at her country

house

HOUSE
HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in
Gothic
- GOTHIC
it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

at By, near Fontainebleau, where for some years she had held gratuitous classes for drawing. She left at her death a considerable number of pictures, studies, drawings and etchings, which were sold by'auction in Paris in the

spring

SPRING (from " to spring," " to leap or jump up," " burst out," O. Eng., springau, a common Teut. word, cf. Ger. springer, possibly allied to Gr. QnrFpxecOac, to move rapidly)

of 1900. (H. FR.)

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