Bonheur, << baw NUR, >> Rosa (1822-1899), a French artist, was the most successful female painter of her time. Bonheur became known for her paintings of domesticated animals and scenes of rural agriculture. Many of her paintings were monumental in scale and offered an idealized vision of life in the French countryside. Like other realist painters of her generation, Bonheur depicted rural scenes with specific detail. She wanted the various locations of her pictures to be recognizable as particular regions of France.
Marie Rosalie Bonheur was born on March 16, 1822, in Bordeaux. She believed strongly in the equality of women with men. Early in her career, she committed herself to personal independence and an unconventional lifestyle. She often adopted the customs and clothing of men, which made her notorious in French society. In 1894, Bonheur became the first female officer in the French Legion of Honor. Her painting The Horse Fair (1853) was among the most popular paintings of the 1800’s.
