The herald., 1911-02-02
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 . Home In
This Countrywide Story Of the
Painting and Its Replicas.

the Great Canvas to Find q Home In
This Countrywide Story Of the
Painting and Its Replieas.
One of the chief glOries Of the Metro
politan museum in New York Is Rosa
Bonheur's stirring masterpiece, The
Horse Fair" a picture which Tor It's
irresistible movement and living por-
traiture Of mans most useful friend
holds a 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 falr
pictures in existence. The one In New
York is the original and, 1t will be re-
membered, was first the property or A.
T. Stewart and then purchased for the
Metropolitan by Cornelius vanderbilt
for $4,000 francs.
1t was painted In Paris, the models
used being the horses Of the Paris Om-
nibus company and few animals
studied at the horse market or the
French capital. 1t was first exhibited
at the salon of 1853. but went back to
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:"
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 1t had
a great success, but whence it also
came back unsold. In the spring or
1854 l expressed to Mile. Bonheur the
desire to buy it from her. At that time
II was In Bordeaux, her native town.
"Her preference was that the munic-
ipality should purchase IT for the city
museum, and a price Of 1900 francs
had been mentioned at which the town
authorities might acquire 1t But she
said to me that If the canvas came
back TO her again she would let me
have it. However, she could not let
1t go to England for less than 10000
francs.
81 unhesitatingly accepted the bar
gain, and it was agreed that the pic
ture should be mine unless sold to
Bordeaux. As the picture was back
in her studio again in the following
year, l told Mile. Bonheur that l
wished to take 1t at once in order to
have it In my 1856 exhibition and that
/ should like to have 1t engraved by
Thomas Landseer. the celebrated en-
graver and brother to the painter.
"She was delighted at the idea Of
the picture being engraved and said to
me: 4 have asked you 10000 francs
for my picture, although In France l
cannot get 10000, and am pleased at
| your consenting to my terms. On the
other hand, I don't mean to take I'M
due advantage Of your liberality. How
can we arrange matters? Let us see.
Well, the picture Is very large, and 1t
will be difficult to find a place for 1t
In an engraver's studio. Besides. you
want to exhibit It. Wouldn't 1t be bet
ter for me to paint you a smaller
copyY"
That suggestion she carried out and
explains how the second canvas came
into existence. That smaller copy was
the one from which Landseer's well
known steel engraving was made and
is the picture which Is In the British
National gallery.
When she heard that 1t had become
the property of the British nation
Mile. Bonheur decided to make a third
copy. thinking the second was not
good enough for the London collection;
hence THE Horse Fair" No. 3. But
the National gallery authorities were
not able to accept the substitute, as
the painting which it was designed to
replace had been given to them as
trustees.
Besides these three, Mile. Bonheur
executed a water color replica and a
drawing based on large photograph.
OF all these, however, the picture in
the Metropolitan is by far the finest
work, which is only as it should be in
view Of the fact that the artist always
found her best public in America.
This was recalled to her detriment
when the rosette Of the Legion of Hon
or was requested In her behalf. "She
has ceased exhibiting at the salon.
objected the president, land sells in
America everything she paints" The
complete answer to that was that the
French government had had the op-
portunity to buy "The Horse Fair, v