The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-12-12
PICTURE
Rosa Bonheur's Stirring Master
piece, "The Horse Fair"
A PRIZE THAT FRANCE LOST.
The Artists Native Land Permitted
the Great Canvas to Find Home In
This Countrywide Story of the
Painting and Its Replicas.

I.
This Countrywide Story of the
Painting and Its RepIioas. II
One of the chief gores of the Metro
poitan museum in New York is Rosa
Bonheur's stirring masterpiece. The
Horse Fair" a picture which for its
irresistible movement and living por-
traiture of mans most useful friend
holds unique position in the annals
of art and the affections of lovers of
paintings.
Few, however are acquainted with |
the intimate history of that notable |
canvas, and fewer still are aware that |
there are no less than five horse fair |
pictures in existence. The one in New
| York is the original and, it will be re-
membered, was first the property of \.
T. Stewart and then purchased for the
Metropolitan by Cornelius Vanderbilt
for 100000 francs.
1t was painted in Paris, the models
used being the horses of the Paris ON
nibus company and few animals
studied at the horse market of the
French capital. 1t was first exhibited
at the salon of 1858, but went back 10
the artist unsold
A part of the further history of the
famous painting is recorded by Ernest
Gambart in his manuscript memoirs
which have been freely drawn upon
for the "Reminiscences Of Rosa Bon
heur:f
"After the closing of the 1853 Paris
salon The Horse Fair was intrusted
to the Society of Artists of Client for
exhibition in that town, where it had
great success, but whence it also
came back unsold. In the spring of
, 1854 | expressed to Mile. Bonheur the
= desire to buy it from her. At that time
!: 1t was in Bordeaux, her native town.
!. Her preference was that the munic
ipality should purchase it for the city
=, museum, and a price of 12,OOO francs
had been mentioned at which the fowl
: authorities might acquire it, But sh'
s. said to me that if the canvas came
e back to her again she would let nj
r have it. However, she could not lie
=. it go to England for less than 40cC
- francs.
81 unhesitatingly accepted the bar
gain, and it was agreed that the PIC
ture should be mine unless sold t
Y Bordeaux. AS the picture was bac
in her studio again in the followfn
year, told Mile. Bonheur that
wished to take 1T at once in order
have it in my 1850 exhibition and tha
l should like to have it engraved b
n Thomas Landseer, the celebrated ell
ST. graver and brother to the painter.
"She was delighted at the idea c
the picture being engraved and said
me: L have asked you 10000 franc
for my picture, although in France
cannot get $4,000, and l am pleased
your conserving to my terms. On Ii
other hand, l don't mean to take Ill
due advantage of your liberality. 'Ho'
re can we arrange matters? Let us Sc
nd Well the picture is very large, and
will be difficult to find a place for
M in an engraver's studio. Besides. yo
want to exhibit it. Wouldn't it be be
I'o ter for me to paint you small'
nv copyY"
is That suggestion she carried out an
explains how the second canvas can
,le into existence. That smaller copy W;
od the one from which Landseers we
known steel engraving was made al
AZ is the picture which is in the BIRTHS
o. National gallery.
nd When she heard that ii had becon
d. the property of the British matte
Mile. DoAheur decided to make thil
CODY. thinking the second Was II
good enough for the London collectlo
w. hence The Horse Fair No. 8. b
- the National gallery authorities we
not able to accept the substitute,
q the painting which it was designed
~. replace had been given to them
trustees.
N Besides these three, Mile. Bonnie
m executed water color replica and
. drawing based on a large photograp
~ OF all these. however, the picture
~ the Metropolitan is by far the fine
& work, which is only as it should be
view of the fact that the artist alwa
MI found her best public in America,
3R3 This was recalled to her detrime
M when the rosette of the Legion of he
~ or was requested in her behalf. Is
Il has ceased exhibiting at the sailor
81 objected the president, land sells
8# America everything she paints
k complete answer to that was that t
'al French government had had the
portunity to buy THE Horse ran
but had neglected it.-Argonaut.