The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-06-02
DEATH OF ROSA BONREUK
For Forty Years the Painter Had Lived
Alcnc with Her Animals

- ~ tSi thS iihttT Naa Live
Alcnc with Her Animals
FoNTA1SEBLEAU, France, May 27.-
Eosa Bonhcur, the painter of animals
died at II o'clock last night. She ha,
been seriously ill for several day
from congestion of the lungs, and a
her advanced age, - years, her rccov
cry was regarded rs doubtful.
Rosa Bonheur has long lived ainos'
as 4 recluse in her chateau on the edg,
of the forest of Fontaineblcau. Tht
animals she gathered about her were
her friends and companions; long
her re]crcations and she asked no bet.
ter playthings than her palette INC
brush. She visited Paris rarely. Tc
the end OF her life of success, Mile.
Bonhcur was unaffected.
At home Mile. Bonhcur dressed in
mans attire, the blue PEASANTS blouse
or velvet jacket. She first adopted
man, she went to make studies at the
slaughter houses and horse markets,
where n woman's costume would have
exposed her to much unplcasantncss.
The boyishncss of her manner and her
short hair made her disguise complete,
and the comfort of the costume caused
her to cling to it.
Her first success came in the sale Of
several copies She had made of famous
paintings and her reputation as an
artist Of originality soon followed her
painting, "Labouragc Nivernais."
This was in 1910. She was soon work
ing on her painting that gave her
lasting fame, The Horse Fair"
'At last" she said. 1.-The Horse
Fair was exhibited lin 1853 and it
had q great success. NJ. Gambard
bought it from me for IS, 900. That
day l thought | was q millionaire. NJ.
Gambard exhibited the picture in the
United States before he finally sold it
for $50, 600. Later, when it was en-
gravcd, painted a replica reduced to
onc-fourth the original size. The re-
plica was bought and presented to the
National gallery Of London.
The painting, now in the Metropol-
itan museum, New York, is eight 1eet
by sixteen feet eight inches. About
twenty-five years ago it was bought
for $4,000 by Mr.. Wright, a cotton
broker of New York city. He failed
in one Of the Wall street panics. The
picture was next bought by A. r.
Stewart for $50, 900. Exhibited in the
Stewart collection at Chickcring hall
by the American Art association of
New York city, it was bought by one
Of the Vandcrbilts for $50, 200. He
presented it to the Metropolitan Mu-
scum of Fine Arts.
After the sale of "The Horse Fair"
Mile. Bonheur bought the estate at
Fontaincbleau, where she made her
home.
The Empress Eugenie was a great
of the painter, and desired
the emperor to bestow upon her the
Of the Legion Of Honor. Up to
this time, 1854, the decoration had
never been given to a woman, except
for acts of great bravery. That it
should be given in recognition of tai
ent alone was opposed by Napoleop's
ouiioNAoio, LIN nc Was .ICtuCUuIU %
bestow it against their wishes.
During his absenc, the next year
the empress acted as regent. Her
first act, when she retired to the pal
nce of Fontainebleau for the summer
was to drive through the woods to
the artists home, and surprising her
in the blue blouse in which she
worked, pinned to her breast the
cross and bit of ribbon that made her
n knight of tho Legion of Honor, the
greatest honor in the power Of the
imperial government to bestow.
In 1893 new honors came to her. In
of her work at the Column
bian exhibition the president of the
republic advanced her to the
grade of officer Of the Legion of Hon.
or. an unusual honor.