The Adair County news., 1911-05-24
AFAMOUSP PICTURE.
Rosa Bonheur's Stirring Master
piece, "The Horse Fair"
a PRIZE THAT FRANCE LOST.

Tss Artists Native Land Permitted
she Great Canvas to Find q Homo In
This country-The Story of the
Painting and Its RepIieas.
One of the chief glories of the Metro
EPoiitan museum in New York is Rosa
Bouheur's stirring masterpiece, 1.-The
SHsrse Fair" a picture which for its
irresistible movement and living por.
craiture of mans most useful friend
z2olds q unique position In the annals
<ec art and the affections of lovers of
Essaintings.
Few, however, are acquainted with
the intimate history Of that notable
canvas, and fewer still are aware that
11ere are no less than five horse fair
Sy9ctures in existence. The one in New
Hork is the original and, it will be re-
Enembered, was first the property of A.
&. Stewart and then purchased for the
Metropolitan by Cornelius Vanderbilt
for 250,OO0 francs.
1t was painted in Paris, the models
ssed being the horses of the Paris Om-
aibus company and a few animals
studied at the horse market Of the
French capital. 1t was first exhibited
sat the salon of 1853, but went back to
the artist unsold.
4 part of the further history Of the
famous painting is recorded by Ernest
Gambart In his manuscript memoirs,
which have been freely drawn upon
14or the "reminiscences of Rosa Bon
heur:"
~After the closing of the 1853 Paris
salon The Horse Fair was intrusted
60 the Society of Artists of Ghent for
exhibition In that town, where 1t had
Il great success, but whence 1t also
-came back unsold. In the spring Of
1854 / expressed to Mile. Bonheur the
~3esire to buy it from her. At that time
zA was in Bordeaux, her native town.
''Her preference was that the munic-
1Spaiity should purchase 1t for the city
zzuseum, and a price of 1900 francs
aad been mentioned at which the town
authorities might acquire it. But she
.said to me that If the canvas came
hack to her again she would let me
Aave it. However, she could not let
q go to England for less than 10000
Cranes.
~y unhesitatingly accepted the bar
gain. and it was agreed that the pic
f-5re should be mine unless sold to
Bordeaux. AS the picture was back
-En her studio again in the following
rear, i told Mile. Bonheur that
wished to take 1t at once in order to
Save it in my 1855 exhibition and that
= should like to have it engraved by
Thomas Landseer, the celebrated en-
STraver and brother to the painter.
''She was delighted at the idea Of
~2ae picture being engraved and said to
zEss: Il have asked you 10000 francs
SzE my picture, although in France I
4oqr consenting to my terms. On the
sSEher hand, | don't mean to take un-
~ne advantage of your liberality. How
41Rn we arrange matters? Let us see.
Well, the picture is very large, and it
wM be difficult to find place for 1t
I'm an engraver's studio Besides, you
.zaEt TO exhibit it. Wouldn't it be bet
rser for me to paint you smaller
seopyY"
explains how the second canvas came
Saato existence. That smaller copy was
1Ae one from which Landseer's well
-known steel engraving was made and
= the picture which is in the British
National gallery.
When she heard that it had become
-she property of the British nation
N1TJe Ronheur decided TO make q third
copy, thinking the second was not
good enough for the London collection;
Hsnce The Horse Fair No. 3. But
the National gallery authorities were
not able to accept the substitute, as
zshe painting which it was designed to
zrepIace had been given to them as
trustees.
Besides these three, Mile. Bonheur
Executed a water color replica and
,szsrawing based on a large photograph.
zgf all these. however, the picture In
eEse Metropolitan is by far the finest
z-ork, which is only as it should be in
xzsew Of the fact that the artist always
rzound her best public in America.
This was recalled to her detriment
xxben the rosette of the Legion CT Hon.
NJ was requested in her behalf. "She
Ass ceased exhibiting at the salon"
zssajected the president, "and sells in
america everything she paints" The
s>ounplete answer to that was that the
French government had had the op-
zuortunity to buy "The Horse Fair"
nut had neglected it-Argonaut.