Marie-Rosalie Bonheur (1822 - 1899)

Born 16 Mar 1822 in Bordeaux, Gironde, France

Ancestors

Died 25 May 1899 at age 77 in Thomery, Seine-et-Marne, France

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Biography

Rosa Bonheur was a famed French Realist painter.

Marie Rosalie "Rosa" Bonheur was born in Bordeaux, France on March 16, 1822. She was the daughter of Oscar Raimond Bonheur and Sophie Marquis ^[1]. She was a commercially successful painter in an era when few women were able to pursue a career in the arts. She was the foremost French "animalier" (animal painter) of her age. Her belief in women's equality and her personal habits, which included dressing in men's clothing and smoking cigars, marked her as a precursor of early feminists. She became the first female recipient of the French Legion of Honor in 1865. However, the award could only be presented to her when Emperor Louis-Napoleon was out of town, because he opposed the bestowal of this award on a woman. She was 77 years old at the time of her death.^[2][3]

Research Notes

She was so admired that she had dolls made in her image. She was one of 12 women permitted to wear trousers in Paris in the 1850's. She had two close long term relationships with women that are thought by most to be of an intimate nature. A biography was written by Anna Klumpke, who inherited her estate against the wishes of Rosa's family. She continues to be mentioned by many as one of the most influential women of all time.

Sources

1. ↑ acte de naissance Archives du Gironde, Bordeaux, N, 1822, vue 43; viewed March 26, 2019
2. ↑ acte de décès: Thomery, 1888-1903, Cote 6E 489/13, acte 15, vue 256, consulté le 25 décembre 2017.
3. ↑ http://www.culture.gouv.fr/LH/LH021/PG/FRDAFAN83_OL0267050v002.htm

• https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Bonheur

• http://biography.yourdictionary.com/rosa-bonheur

• https://hyperallergic.com/433726/frida-kahlo-barbie-rosa-bonheur-doll/

• Wikidata: Item Q241732, en:Wikipedia

• https://www.chateau-rosa-bonheur.fr/en/atelier - Includes biography and photos

• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVKC-LGMS : 13 December 2015), Marie-Rosalie Bonheur, 1899; Burial, Paris, City of Paris, Île-de-France, France, Cimetière du Père Lachaise; citing record ID 44170350, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.