Rosa Bonheur (roh-zah bah-nur), a landscape painter and drawing master, was born in Bordeaux, France, and moved to Paris when she was seven. As a child, she spent her time sketching animals she saw in the Bois de Boulogne (Woods of Boulogne) and the many tame animals in her family’s apartment, including a sheep that lived on their balcony.

Bonheur was originally trained by her father. Eventually, he sent her to study the master artists whose works were displayed at the Louvre. By age 17, Bonheur was selling copies she had made of these old masterpieces.

Bonheur was also influenced by the religious group her father belonged to, the Saint-Simonians. They believed in the equality of women. This belief affected Bonheur’s attitude later in life. Her refusal to accept traditional women’s roles liberated her style, both personally and professionally.

Bonheur, a lifelong lover of animals, painted huge compositions in which animals, such as horses, often played a major role. She was extremely concerned with recording the correct anatomical details of the animals she portrayed.

Her paintings and sculptures were accepted for exhibit by the Paris Salon from 1840 to 1855, and in 1865 she was the first woman to be awarded The Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor.