Rosa's Animals

April 1, 2018
This handsomely designed and illustrated biography grandly introduces the most famous Western female artist of her time.The sexist conventions of the 19th century denied Rosa Bonheur a formal art education, but she was undeterred from pursuing her passions. Bonheur's artist father undertook her training as a painter and allowed her to pursue her interest in painting animals by bringing live models to the family's studio. By age 19, Bonheur saw her work accepted into the prestigious Salon de Paris and soon became internationally renowned as a painter and sculptor of domestic and wild animals. Her unconventional study habits included visiting slaughterhouses to sketch anatomy and disguising herself as a man to enter events such as horse fairs, which were forbidden to women. A passionate lover of animals and nature, Bonheur kept three lions as pets. She was also admired by heads of state and international celebrities; Empress Eugénie convinced her husband, Louis-Napoleon, to make Bonheur the first woman to receive the Legion of Honor. Impressionists, however, criticized her work as too realistic. Macdonald skillfully puts Bonheur's life and work in cultural and historical context, discussing in detail some of the artist's most famous works, including The Horse Fair and Ploughing in the Nivernais. Throughout the text and on the case covers are beautiful reproductions of Bonheur's work and historical ephemera.An elegant, insightful portrait of an artist worth knowing. (source notes, bibliography, index) (Biography. 9-14)

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May 1, 2018

Gr 4-6-Artist and trailblazer Rosa Bonheur lived a life that was anything but conventional. Bonheur loved to draw and used her imagination to recreate what she observed in nature as a child. While traveling in Paris, she became fascinated by the creatures of the city, especially horses, which quickly became her favorite subject and inspired her life's work. Defying all expectations of young women of her time, she not only attended school, but also studied art as a pupil of her father, who was also an artist. Despite illness and multiple setbacks, Bonheur fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming an artist; she never gave up and persisted even in the face of criticism and doubt. Her most famous work, The Horse Fair, hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is regarded as one of the finest examples of Realist painting in the world. High-definition, full-page reproductions of her artwork, as well as supporting historical information about the era in which Bonheur lived, make this an accessible portrait of the artist. However, MacDonald presents Bonheur's admiration of painter George Catlin and friendship with Buffalo Bill without commentary on their exploitation of American Indians. A detailed bibliography as well as a list of her paintings and their museum locations provide additional context. VERDICT Consider for robust art history collections.-Natalie Romano, Denver Public Library

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July 9, 2018
In a historically rich chronicle of artist Rosa Bonheur’s life, Macdonald presents her subject as an adventurous, principled, and deeply committed artist. Bonheur’s paintings are featured throughout the narrative, providing readers with a vivid sense of her art style and fascination with animal subjects. Memorable details convey the lengths to which Bonheur went for her art, including visiting a slaughterhouse to observe animal anatomy and gaining permission from the Paris police to dress as a man in order to attend a horse fair. The book also places Bonheur’s contributions into the broader context of art history, including the rise of Impressionism and its usurpation of naturalism. Ages 8–12.