Rosa Bonheur and the United States

An american success story

Rosa Bonheur’s fame in the U.S.A was nothing short of phenomenal. By the late 19th century, her paintings had become must-have treasures for America’s greatest collectors: J.P. Morgan, E. Gardner, and C. Vanderbilt himself, who acquired The Horse Fair before donated it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art — where it remains one of the institution’s most beloved works. So iconic was the painting that, when Abraham Lincoln died, an engraving of it was found above his bed. Speculation around her paintings began in the U.S.: one masterpiece refused by the French state for 10,000 gold francs was sold within Rosa’s lifetime for an extraordinary 268,000 gold francs.

 Her renown crossed into popular culture as well — Rosa Bonheur dolls were produced in the U.S.A, the 19th-century equivalent of Barbie. Even Buffalo Bill Cody insisted on meeting her during his European tour, inviting her to his show and traveling to Thomery to admire her horses. Rosa, in turn, gifted him one of them and painted his portrait.

A legacy entrusted to America

Rosa Bonheur’s bond with the U.S.A grew stronger in the final years of her life. She chose to entrust her legacy not to French institutions or even to her own family, but to an American: the painter Anna Klumpke. Rosa asked Anna to write her memoirs and safeguard her memory, relying on her rigor, devotion, and open-mindedness. She even considers the entire Klumpke family as her heirs.

 While France gradually neglected her, and her name disappeared from art history, American museums and collectors continued to celebrate her genius. They purchased her major works, keeping her reputation alive across the Atlantic. Today, it’s estimated that more than half of Rosa Bonheur’s works are in the U.S.A confirming the country’s unique role in honoring and preserving her extraordinary legacy.