Graham guardian., 1902-04-25

Olt udN WHICH ncT ldlUcT WIS
ont r sa went into his studio and
painted bunch of cherries and
when b came home he saw the
drawing and said. "Tha is fine.
Hereafter | myself will give you
lessons in drawing" She got on
so well that in Il little while she
was able to give lessons to the
Russian Princess, Czartorisky.
They were not very studious girls.
Sometimes instead of working
they were sliding on the polished
floor of the studio. While going
to the boys school yet in Paris,
Rosa made the acquain ance of u
little girl by the name Of Natalie
Micas and they were life long
fir ends
Rosa would go to the Louvre
and copy many paintings and they
/ were so well do e that her copies
brought good prices at the picture
market.
After awhile she visited Bor-
dcaux and from there she went to
l.andes in the northern part of
France here there were hJcks of
sheep and goats and the country
was swampy, but Rosa found
beauty in it. The shepherds
thought she would bcwitch their
sheep, d" or" said they, "what
does a woman want with pencil
and brush where only sheep are"
Ia l847 she took her first prize.
hn' it W only thir. ! medal
When they gave it to her she
simply said, Thank the king for
me, and tell him that | intend to
do better next time" And in
1850 she took the first prize
She did not read many books
but she loved read George
Sands aud Walter Scott's novels
Once she read in one of George
Sands books a description Of oxen
plowing in Ncvers. She went to
Ncvers and then p,intcd her mas.
t"rpicce called "Oxen Flowing"
Her father WAS then IN poor health
but when the picture was finished
he went to- see it. He examined
its every detail! and was very much
pleased and returned homo
crowned with peace. S pon he said
gooi bye to this world of trouble.
After Rosa painted the picture
Oxen Flowing" wanted to
paint something better, so she be-
b gan 10 study ab rut horses She
went to Paris and her friends put
their best horses at her disposal,
but she wanted to study the horses
rs they were without being tanned
by man, so she visited the horse
markets and horse fairs and
skctchrd all sorts of horses in all
sorts of position Her WON ms
attire attracted much unwelcome
attention, To avoid this she
adopted the costume Of a man,
which became her well. At last
she was ready for her great work.
She had to use Il canvas, the largest
that had been used by anyone up
to that time for 'he painting of
animals. Her horses were to he
two thirds life size. Her canvas
was so large that she had TO use a !
ladder, SO she continued to wear
m lie attire.
AZ last the great work was com.
plctcd fIr the salon exhibit ofl853. !
Aftcr tbs exhibit her pictures
were admitted without cxamina-
tion, Il rare honor even for great
artist. The Horse Fair brought
only words of praise. Afterwards
it was put on exhibit in Belgium
and here man bought it f. 40
90 francs. Later it was put on
eXhibi in London and then in the |
United States, where wealthy |
man bought it for 30 200 francs,
and now it hangs in the Mctropoli-
tan Museum in New York.
After awhile Rosa went to live al |
BY near Fontainblcau Forest whore
she took her friend Natalie Micas
To live with her. There Rosa had |
Il regular managerie She had all
kinds O animals with her.
Natalie Micas died in 1889.
Napolcan III lived near where
Rosa lived, and his wife Eugcnia
had begged him to bestow on
Rosa the Cross Of the Legion of
Honor, which the king refused t.
do, saying that no w 'man had yet
receive d it. But the king had to
go to Algicrs and left the queen
regent and then she be towed up.
on Il Dsl the Cross of the Lygi IN
of Honor
A list of R ,sa Bonheur's m )st
famous pictures is:
The Horse Fair, An Old Mon
arch, a Noble Charger, On the
Ale t, Dcnizens of the Highlands,
Sheep Of B'rry, Oxen Flowing,
Coming from the Fair, Changing
Pastimr, a Scottish Raid, Lions at ,
Home, Crossing the Pyrenee. I,
| like the picture "Oxen Plow.
ing" the best.
II ,So ROnhenr died in ISoo ot