The Horse Fair

Bonheur studied the Paris horse market on Boulevard de l’Hôpital twice a week for eighteen months. The huge painting won acclaim at the Salon of 1853. Careful observation of animals supports a monumental composition informed by classical sculpture and earlier animal painting.

A dark horse lifts its foreleg across a white horse. Overlapping bodies convey the crowded market and the work of controlling powerful animals.

A white horse rears. Its pale coat makes the tension of neck and forelegs particularly easy to examine.

A pale dappled horse appears from behind with its head turned. Changing viewpoints allow Bonheur to study the body in motion.

The rider on the right stands at the group’s edge. People direct the horses while appearing physically much smaller than them.

A row of trees encloses the market ground. Behind the foreground movement remains a recognisable city location that the artist visited regularly.

Pale sky and grey clouds leave the upper painting relatively open, making the outlines of heads and raised limbs easier to follow.

The painting strengthened Bonheur’s international reputation as an animal painter. She made a smaller version to assist print production, allowing the large Salon work to circulate far beyond its exhibition room.