The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-28
gEs a0hita Daily Eagle: Sunday glornima au e. 1899

dertaking the study of dog, horse OIL
sheep l first made myself familiar with
the anatomy. the osteology of the animal
l even attempted some dissecting work
To those who are kind enough 10 recog-
nize in me a sincere artist I have but tc
! say that whatever Z am Is due to thk
conscientious training.
! 1 exhibited at the salon for the first
time in 1854, a very modest canvas repre-
senting rabbits. The year after I Travelled
| and prepared in Auvergue the studies
+ from which I composed my picture for
1897. 'Boefus Rouges du Cantal.' I exhibit
cd II and 1t won for me my first reward, a
! gold medal Of the third class"
TO help her further in her work Mile.
Bonheur went to the slaughter houses of
Paris. One must be truly devoted TO ones
art TO live in the midst of such horrors
and in such coarse company" she re-
marked later. 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
from her painting. 'Labourage Vivernals.' .
This was in 1S49 She was soon working
on her painting that gave her lasting
tame, The Horse Fair
"At last" she said, &" The Horse Fair
was exhibited Gin 1859 and it had a great
success. NJ. Gambard bought it from me
for 5000 That day I thought myself a
millionaire. NJ. Gambard exhibited the
picture in the United States before he fin
ally sold it for $4,000. Later, when it was
engraved I painted a replica reduced to
one-fourth Of the original size. The re-
plea was bought and presented to the
National Gallery of London"
The painting now in the Metropolitan
museum, New York, is eight feet by six
teen 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. T.
Stewart for $4,000. Exhibited in the Stew
art collection at Chickering hall by the
American Art association of New. York
City, it was bought by one of the Wander
bits for $4,000 He presented 1t to the
Metropolitan Museum OF Fine Arts.
After the sale of The Horse Fair Mile
Bonheur bought the estate at Fontaine-
bleau, where she made her home.
The Empress Eugene was a great ad-
mirer of the painter and desired the En-
peror to bestow upon her the cross of the
Legion of Honor. Up to this time, 1864,
the decoration had never been given to a
woman, except for acts of great bravery.
That it should be given in recognition of
talent alone was opposed by Napoleon's
counselors, and he was reluctant to be-
stow It against their advice.
During his absence the next year the
empress acted as regent. Her first act,
when she retired to the palace Of Fon-
tainebleau 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 c,oss Of the Legion OF Honor. ;ha
greatest honor IN the power of the imperial
government to bestow.
The Grand Duke Michael OF Russia once
net the artist at a dinner party where
she won philopaena-"Do send me a lit
tie animal to draw she said. Weeks
later three enormous white bears arrived
at the chateau. They were the dukes
philopaena.
In 1898 new honors came to her. In rec
ognition of her work at the Columbian ex-
hibition the president Of the French re-
public advanced her to the grade of officer
of the Legion Of Honor. an unusual honor.