nPostednon March 16, 2014
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| Portrait of Bonhuer |
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nShenwasn’t like other women: n
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nShenwore pants! She rode horses like a man! She wore her hair short!
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nAndnshe had a successful career as a painter and sculptor.
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nAsna matter of fact, she was an “animalier.” I know you arenwondering what THAT means – it means an artist who specializes innthe realistic portrayal of animals. n
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nRosanBonhuer, born on this date in 1822, is apparently considered by manynto be the most famous female painter of the 1800s! I’n amazed by thisn– what about Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot? The latter two, ofncourse, are impressionists, and Bonhuer a realist, so perhaps inntheir own times, Bonhuer was the more famous.
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nInwas fascinated to see that Bonhuer’s father was a landscape andnportrait painter and that three of her brothers and sisters were alsonanimal painters and sculptors!
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| One of her most famous paintings, Horse Fair. |
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nBonhuernbegan to learn how to draw and paint by copying images from drawingnbooks and from plaster models, but she soon began to draw animalsnfrom life. She also went to Paris’s famous art museum, the Louvre,nand copied from the paintings there. (Did I mention she was French?)
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| Lion at Rest |
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nBonhuernalso studied animal anatomy and did dissections at a veterinaryninstitute. According to the National Museum of Women in the Arts,nBonhuer kept more animals in her home than most; at one point she hadntwo lions, a stag, a wild sheep, a gazelle, and horses!
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nBynthe way, Bonhuer explained that she wore pants and rode horsesnastride because she had to, as she worked with animals. Women’snclothing got in the way of working with animals, she said. Apparentlynshe was happy to wear dresses when she wasn’t working.
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nAlsonon this date:
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Goddard Day
Goddard Day
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nSt.nUrho Day
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nAnniversarynof the greatest rainfall in 24 hours
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nFreedomnof Information Day
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Plannahead:
Plannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest boards for:
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n Marchn holidays
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n Historicaln anniversaries in March
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nApriln holidays
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