The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-18

Aifh1uGh Ahe WAS rFer4iie0 upon W 10
., occasionally. Rosa BonhsuH always dis
nked painting = picture q any kInd 70
order She was throughout her whole ca
reer intensely jealous OF her artistic In
dependence. ard rcaeated criticisms or
srsxestions from persona Who lad no
~epecsaI knowledge Of art. Ia the COM
fszrartveiy rare instances when she took
commissions for pictures IL was under
stood that she was 70 have fun liberty 70
eArTy out her own ideas II there were
any attempt to infringe upon this liberty
she would at once drop the picture. no
matter how high might Be the position Of
the person who had ordered IL
An incident illustrating this occurred In
YEk when Baron de Rothxchfld. OF Paris.
desired 10 have q characteristic animal
painting from Mile Bonheur's hrush. The
artist. then = years old and 1T the height
% her power and fame tshe had painted
the Horse Fair In I'D. agreed to paint
q picture for the great dnanczer, and
soon had Il sketched roughly In upon the
canvas. Baron de Roshschild Was anxious
10 see the arst sketch. and Nile Bonheur
gave him permission 10 enter her studio.
There be found that the painting was
sheep sceae-and one. moreover, which
even In its unfinished state the artist con.
stdered the best OF the kind she Had yet
produced. But the baron was dissatisfied.
He would have preferred exen. he said.
and made various other suggestions which
would have required an entirely new COM
position, and which dtd not At all appeal
to Rosa Bonheurfs ideas of art. Not only
did she promptly refuse 10 make any
but also nTmiy declined TO prepare any
other sketch for the baron or to execute
any commission from him.
American Rr1enAs ~ the Artist.
The late August Belmont. OF New York.
was a great admirer OF Nile. Bonheur's
work. and for him she painted two we'll
known canvases-the Meeting Of the
Hunt and Crossing the Ford" No such
trouble az that with Baron de Roths-
child occurred Ia this case. and the artist
and Mr. Belmont we're always on the mos
friendly terms Knowing her fond.ieas for
animals Of all kinds. OF which she KEEP,
a regular menagerfe on her estate at
Fontainebieau. Mr.. Belmont presented to
the artist . fine elk. which renamed IN
her possession for \ long time
A few years ago Mile. Bonheus wanted
TO paint picture OF the wild little -.meri-
can pony OF the plains. az which she had
often heard She owned Breton. Arab.
Norman and Percheron horses but had no
animal In her stables TO serve as q model
for this new picture. "BaEalo BILL" hear
ing of the artists desire. gave her two
typical brunep,s. and, using them as stud
les. she produced an admirable picture.
pronounced by critics at the time 10 be
equal TO the test Of her previous work. Not
lcng afterward. In recognition Of Col.
Cody's kindness. Mile. Bonheur painted
and gave TO him portrait Of himself on
horseback.
Her Adoption 81 Aaseuline Clethes.
Rosa Bonheur's preference for mascu-
been the subject Of much comment. though
the artist herself never could see why Il
should attract such universal attention
She was wholly unaffected IN Its adoption,
having done SO as protection when as
young girl she wished 60 study animals
In the slaughter houses of Paris. Find
ing IL far more convenient than skirts.
she continued TO wear II 1T home through
out her life, but she never appeared In
this guise In the public streets.
The following amusing description Of
her appearance and manner was given by
a newspaper writer who paid her q visit
some years ago and sought TO obtain wha.
the artist most dreaded and avoided--an
interview:
"A funny-looking man came toward me
knitting his hrows. He wore an enormous
straw hat Under il was a soft. beardless
face. Drowned by the sun and lighted by
chestnut-colored eyes: n small NOSE ex-
agGerated the size OF the large mouth.
with rows OF superb teeth. and there was
a breezy flow of long hair
who are your Where DO you come
from and what do you WANT he said
sharply. stopping and thrussing his small