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The history of Château de By

Former seigneurial domain of the 15th century, located in the hamlet of By-Thomery in Seine-et-Marne, the castle was acquired by the famous painter Rosa Bonheur in 1859, following the sale of her painting The Horse Market. Rosa Bonheur is then the first woman to buy, in her name, a property thanks only to the fruit of her work. The artist immediately commissioned the architect Jules Saulnier to build his studio for him. She moved there a year later and spent the last forty years of her life there. After his death, the property returned to his "adopted daughter" Anna Klumpke, painter, who preserved the estate with immense devotion, opening Rosa's studio to the public in order to keep the memory of the illustrious painter alive. Pampered by the different generations of the Klumpke-Dejerine-Sorrel family, the workshop was successively opened and then closed to the public before being taken over by Katherine Brault in September 2017.

Passionate about the artist's story and touched by the authenticity of the place, which has never been modified, we are committed to safeguarding the house of Rosa Bonheur and its collections in order to rehabilitate this exceptional place.

A New Women's Story:


Katherine Brault & her children

Is it chance or fate that led her to return one day in winter 2015 to the Château de Rosa Bonheur where, as a child, she dragged her feet not to come to this strange and disturbing place open once a year to schools.


Before this visit to the Château de Rosa Bonheur, she had no attraction for the 19th century or for animal painting. However, after a few minutes of wandering through the row of rooms, opening the doors to a past so present, gazing into that of the lions and other wild boars, she understands that she is living a rare moment, one of those who change a life.​

At fifty-five, Katherine Brault dreamed of returning to Fontainebleau, her hometown. Several years in communication at the head of an agency that she co-directs, a passage in the world of gastronomy as co-founder of a group of import and distribution of luxury products, then several years to accompany artists, without forgetting four children whom she educates alone, a rich career which quickly teaches that nothing is given, nothing is acquired, that one must always fight and never let go.
It is this itinerary made up of improbable encounters that allowed her to embark on this crazy project to safeguard the memory of Rosa Bonheur.​

"When I entered the studio, I looked at her portrait, she was looking at me mischievously and seemed to be saying to me: 'Ah, you took a long time to come back!' I was moved to tears…”

Katherine Brault

A new kind of project

The Château de Rosa Bonheur, labeled House of the illustrious, offers through its authenticity and its cultural offer, a unique experience. The mixed form: residence, workshop, museum, art and garden, allows the visitor to be completely immersed in the life and work of Rosa Bonheur. Today, the public is invited to enter the artist's studio as if she was still living there, without barrier, without staging or museographic device. Everything is authentic, nothing has been redone.

In addition, around the museum gravitate a remarkable park of more than three hectares, a tea room, a shop & bookstore, guest rooms, reception rooms and a cultural program... An abundant activity that echoes the most beautiful hours of this area.

But the ambition of this project is also the conservation of hitherto unknown archives, the creation of an international research center, the safeguarding of an exceptional heritage, the rehabilitation of illustrious women and finally the creation of the Rosa Bonheur International Museum.

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