The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-09
From the Kansas City Star.


 TT is one of the paradoxes of art that
 a great animal painter. one who de- \ picted not only the physical beauty of dumb creatures. but their superhu- man tranquility of soul, should have been born in a family whose hereditary profession was the preparation of meat for the dinner table, and in times of great mental unrest in a country that has never shown for animals either the religious veneration of India or the con sideration of England and America. But that Rosa Bonheur did develop a deep love for the beasts of the farmyard and the field, that 1t was the inspiring motive of her work, is made very clear In a new book, "Reminiscences of Rosa Bonheur," edited by Theodore Stanton It is as it's name implies, collection of first hand memories of the eccentric painter, records of many intimate incl dents told by her friends. letters from them about her work, her travels, and her world of animals
 The culinary art in this instance Is no misnomer It was in the kitchen that Raymond Bonheur, Rosa's father, first showed signs of a genius that was to make him the head of a race of artists His father probably showed 1t in the fullest measure possible with the ma terial at his disposal, for the table orr naments in butter and sugar prepared by him were young Raymond's first in centive to use his talent, which he did to such good purpose in their imitation and elaboration that he was taken away from the fleshpots and sent to study at the drawing school in Bordeaux.
 After that the family profession was abandoned, except for intervals when Raymond helped to make the most of the meaere fare he could provide for his growing family by drawing and painting lessons Tn Bordeaux the field was too limited and for financial reasons, as well as artistic, when Marie Rosalie was 6 wears old. her father went to seek for tune in Paris, and year later in ls2s. sent for his wife and three children. The new home happened to be opposite pork butchers shop. which l shall al ways remember" said Rosa Bonheur in 1897. .because of it's sign, boar in paint W00Q, out I stopped to caress the poor ani- nal. This was. perhaps, one of my earl fest manifestations of love for the dumb world"
 Beginning at the age of 13 Rosa passed through the regular course of instruc- ton in her fathers studio. There began the collecting of animal life that was scandal to the neighbors and gos- sin for the whole "quarter." It began uith rabbits. fowls and ducks. Then Rsoa pot some tame quail and kept them in her own room in grotto of heather and otber plants. Later, in an apartment III the Rue Rumford. up six flights of stars Rosa kept sheep called Jacrisse. When she lived in the Rue d'Assas it is record ed that there lived with her one horse ono he-goat, one otter, seven lapwings ! two Hoopoes. one monkey, one sneep one donkey, two dogs-"and my neisn' bor. Mime. Foucault,". she adds to tht | list.
 But as shown in her paintings many If them beautifully reproduced In MT s,anton's book. she did not confine hel attention to domesticated animals. In letter written in 1886 Nshe says: ''Thii year we shall spend only httie wnli' in Nice, as the bringing up of two iion' takes much of our time. We find then
 more frank, more grateful, these wilt teasts. than are most human beings
 And in q later letter, referring to thu
 .ame animals, she says. If we go thi
 winter to Nice we shall bring them alonI
 with us in the train"
 She frequently made comparisons lilx
 inc foregoing. "rhe human race gen
 erally is not worth as much as the duml arlnals," she says, in another place when comment was made on the cas-