The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-01-03
AsOuT ROSA BoNHeUR.

Scarcely q woman artist of ihe time
is OF quite SO much interest as tle
French woman Rosa Bouheur, both for
her success in art and her pgCulartues.
SHE was born IN Bordeaux and her faith
or was a drawing teacher SHE was
"a contrary child, refusing to study and
roaming at win over the fields and
through the woods At 4 she was p0ss-
essed Of a passion for drawing and as
high as she could reach the whitewash-
ed walls were covered with crude draw
ings. Her father moved to Paris when
Rosa was very young and their first a
partments were above Il bathing estab-
Eshment There was a school for boys
in the building and Rosa attended it with
her two little brothers, not ut all abash-
ed at there being no other girls to play
with.
After 1880 times were hard with the
| Bonheur family and ROsa's father was
out Of work. When her neither died an
aunt took charge OF her but Rose pinned
for her father and he finally took her
back She was appTenticed TO a dress
maker but did not like the work and
would steal away to assist the dressnak
| ers husband, who manufactured per
/ cussion caps Rosa did NOT stay long
here and as her fDther was too busy with
/ his studies to look after her She occupied
| herself in c0loring views for the Bris-
/ sions, friends who painted heraldic de
| vices, Kaleidoscope views, etc Mime Bon
| heur says now that she never thinks Of
her poor little earnings at THAT time with
out emotion. Then her father sent her
to boarding school, where She upset az
fairs with her rough, b0yish ways and
was sent away in despair.
She went back to her fathers house.
where a room was fitted up as a sort Of
studio and she amused herself there
while he was running about Paris Civ
ing drawing lessons. One day he came
back and found her ut work on her first
oil painting from Hature-a bunch Of
cherries That's fine" said the surprised
parent. I'm future you must work earn
esGly" Affairs grew brighter after that;
some titled patrons were found, and the
studio became the rendezvous for a cley-
er company. When Rosa BOnheur be-
! gan to ptaint in the Louvre she was call
cd the little Huzzar on account OF her
I costume and Independent ways. How
ever, the copies she made sold rapidly and
the students ceased to laugh ait her. She
went to the country and became fascin
gted with the individuality of animals,
/ made some studies and received a medal
for a salon picture. The studio where
/ Rosa and her father worked was a
strange medley of disorder, and the faith
| err himself was eccentric. When he re-
| ceived money he would take a handful
and toss it among the bewildering accuIn-
/ ulation Of stuff in the room When the
! day came that there was no money in the
house they would search the heap and
| would always find a dollar or so to live
on.
/ Resolved to succeed in her line Rosa
Bonheur worked hard and even frequent
/ ed the slaughter house Of the Roule. Her
/ presence surprised the rough men there
/ and they were disposed to make things
uncomfortable for her. About this time
/ a druggist asked her hand in marriage,
but as She naively says: 1.-The drug store
/ had no ATTRACTIONS for me and so / re-
/ fused him. " She took a studio of her
I own and worked harder than ever.
She became engaged upon her lannon's
/ painting, 1.-The Horse Fair" and to fac
! ilitate her work adopted masculine at
/ tire, securing the permission Of the per-
/ feet of police. Her appearance, she says,
/ was very bOyish. When her Horse
/ Fair" was exhibited and sold for $4,000
/ She says she felt like a millionaire. 1t
! finally sold for 100000 She visited Scot
/ land and was charmed with the country
| In 1853 Rosa Bonheur bought the es
/ tate of By, where she lives to-day. 1t is
/ in the heart of the forest of Fontaine-
bleau and she paid $4,000 for it, build
/ ing her own studio. There she has since
/ lived happily removed from the world
/ and surrounded by her beloved animals
/ In 1865 she was busy painting when her
maid rushed in crying: "MadamOiselle!
! The empress! The empress is cOmingw
| The artist just had to throw a skirt on
over her wooden trousers and exchange
her long blue blouse for a velvet jacket,
| when the empress entered, bearing the
| decoration Of the Legion of Honor,
! which she bestowed ON the artist, who
was afterward invited to breakfast at
! Fontainebeau, where she was most
kindly treated by the court.
| AT present Mime. Bonheur lives very
simply getting UP with the dawn and
going to bed at dark. She walks or
drives, paints, smokes cigarettes and
reads. Her favorite books are the bible
and the works on hunting, history and
travel. Before she commences a picture
she studies the subject exIhaustively,
prefacing this with conscientious studies
from nature, looking for the exact sky
and surroundings which viii suit her
subject Not till she has found them does
| she touch brush to her canvas.
HIP SINNII ATARRIAGE