One of the 250 famous paintings examined in Masterpiece Cards - and one whose meaning is more clear after knowing its historical and social context. The (now) famous painter, Rosa Bonheur, had to disguise herself as a man to gain admission into the horse market where she sketched this subject! Read more about this and other famous paintings by Rosa Bonher.
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Horse Fair, Rosa Bonheur. Oil on canvas, 1853 - 1855. 8' x 17' (approx.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. It was recently discovered that she painted her self portrait into this imposing masterpiece. I think she must have been laughing the entire time!