The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1910-12-17
AFAMOUS 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 a Home In
This country-The Story Of the
Painting and Its RepIieas.
One OF the chief glorles Of the Metro
politan museum In New York Is Rosa
Bonheur's stirring masterpiece, The
Horse Fair" n picture which for its
Irresistible movement aud living por
traiture OF mans most useful friend
holds unique position In the annals
Of art aud 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. Il will be re.
membered. was first the property OF A.
Il. Stewart and then purchased for the
Metropolitan 10y Cornelius Vanderbilt
for 10000 francs.
lt was painted in Paris. the models
used being the horses Of the Paris ON
nibus company and a few animals
studied at the horse market OF the
French capital. IL was first exhibited
at the salon OF 1858. but went back To
the artist unsold.
A part Of the further history OF the
famous painting is recorded by Ernest
Gambart I'M his manuscript memoirs,
which have been freely drawn upon
for the "Reminiscences Of Rosa Bon
heur:"
after the closing OF the 1858 Paris
salon The Horse Fair was intrusted
TO the Society OF Artists OF Client FOR
exhibition I'm that town. where IL had
a great success. but whence IL also
came back unsold In the spring or
1854 | expressed TO Mile. Bonheur the
desire 10 buy Il from her. At that time
Il was in Bordeaux. her native town.
"IIer preference was that the munic
ipality should purchase IL for the city
museum. and price OF 1900 francs
had been mentioned at which the town
authorities might acquire IT, But she
said 60 me that II the canvas came
back 10 her again she would let me
have IT, However, she could not let
Il 90 10 England for less than 10000
francs.
81 mhesltatincly accepted the bar
gain. and II was agreed that the pic
turc should loo mine unless sold 60
Bordeaux. AS the picture was back
in her studio again I'm the following
year, told Mile. Bonheur that
wished TO take 1t nj once IN order TO
have Il in my 1855 exhibition and that
should like - have II engraved by
Thomas Land, the celebrated en-
grayer and brother TO the painter.
me: 4 have asked you 10000 francs
for my picu although in France !
cannot get l2'WN. ana am pleased ut
your consentinv to my terms. On the
other hand. | don't mean 10 take I'm.
due advantage OF your libcrality. How
can we arrange matters? Let rs see
Wei, the picture is very large. and II
will bc difficult 10 find place FOR IL
I'm an engraycr's studio. BESIDES. you
want 10 exhibit lt Wouldn't IL bc'bct
ter Tor me to paint Nmu smaller
copy
That suggestion she carried out aud
explains how the second canvas came
into existence That smaller copy WAS
the one from which land~cer's well
known steel engraving was made and
Is the picture which Is In the British
National gallery.
when She heard that il had become
the property of the British nation
Mile Bonhcur decided 10 make a third
copy. thinking the second was not
good enough for the London collection;
hence The Horse Fair No. 8. But
the Nutiuuei gallery authorities were
not able to accept the substitute, ms
the painting which 10 was designed to
replace had been given 10 Them rs
trustees
Besides these three. Mile Bonheur
executed water color replica and a
drawing based ON large photograph
or all these. however the picture In
the Metropolitan is hy far the finest
work. which is only ais II should be in
view of the fact that the artist always
found her best public IN America.
This was recalled 90 her dctriment
wh.u the rosette OF the Legion Of Hon
or was requested III her behalf "She
has ceased exhibiting ut the salon"
objected the president, "nnd sells In
America everything she paints The
complete answer Ia that was that the
French government had had the op-
portunity % buy "The Horse Fair"
but had neglected it-Argonaut