Bearded, bare-chested male figure, study for "The Horse Fair"
1852–53
Medium
Black chalk and graphite, heightened with white
Dimensions
18 3/4 x 11 7/8 in. (47.6 x 30.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of David and Constance Yates, in memory of Vincent Rovauoux, 1996
Accession Number
1996.319
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking preparatory drawing by Rosa Bonheur captures a bearded, bare-chested male figure, likely a groom or horse handler, rendered with remarkable vitality. Created between 1852 and 1853, it served as a study for Bonheur’s celebrated masterpiece *The Horse Fair*, now in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection. The French artist, renowned for her monumental animal paintings, spent months sketching at the Paris horse market, observing both the powerful horses and the men who worked with them. This sheet reflects her commitment to direct observation and anatomical accuracy, hallmarks of the R...
About the Artist
Rosa Bonheur · 1822–1899
Comment on works: animals