Rosa Bonheur
Rosa Bonheur was a French artist known best as a painter of animals. And here it is today: El Cid, a lion! :)
During the Franco-Prussian War, Bonheur developed a singular fondness for these animals. According to Anna Klumpke, her partner in the final years of her life, Bonheur was always attracted to the primeval energy of animals. She began studying them at fairs, which she visited in trousers to observe horses and cattle. Her choice of clothing required a “transvestite permit” from the authorities, as only men could legally wear trousers. Bonheur was particularly interested in felines, as evident in this Atlas lion that the background mountain references. The work’s title (El Cid) with its Spanish connection also evokes liberty, rebelliousness, and courage; values that Bonheur expressed in her own life and through her depictions of animals, which became the principal subject of her work.
June is LGBTQ+ month, and this feature is a part of our celebrations. :)