This episode Megan & Milena cover French 19th century animal realist painter Rosa Bonheur & American computer scientist and Navy rear Admiral Grace Hopper

Rosa Bonheur

Crop of Anna Klumpke’s painting of painter Rosa Bonheur

Slaughterhouses are not a place I’d like to visit today. A 19th century Paris slaughterhouse is definitely not a place I’d like to visit today, tomorrow, yesterday, or whatever the time space continuum has to throw at me. For painter Rosa Bonheur they were exactly the place she wanted to be.             Coming of age in mid 1800’s, Rosa rose to fame not only a leading animalist painter, but also leading woman painter of the 19th century. Undeterred by social convention, Rosa was uncompromising in her art and her life. Living openly as a lesbian, Rosa and her partner Nathalie traveled internationally enjoying the prestige Rosa’s paintings brought.  This episode we cover Rosa’s crossdressing in slaughterhouses, pissing the French off, and how tiring it can be to visit the zoo – just bring the lion’s home instead.

Selected Artwork

Early painting, accepted into the 1840 Paris Salon, Rabbits Nibbling Carrots

Animal head study – Rosa would often frequent slaughterhouses in order to expand her knowledge of animal anatomy

One of Rosa’s most well known works, Ploughing in the Nivernais, a painting commissioned by the French government

Rosa’a massive 16 foot long painting, The Horse Fair, that won special award for outstanding at the 1853 Paris Salon, the painting later touring England and the US

Above is the painting The Horse Fair at home in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, where it was gifted by Cornelius Vanderbilt

This painting that Rosa did for Buffalo Bill became his favorite, upon learning his house was burning down he told his wife to save this and nothing else

Pictured is Rosa and her first wife of over 50 years, Nathalie Micas. Together Rosa and Nathalie supported one another, living openly queer in 19th century France

Above is the Cross of the Legion of Honor, which was given the Rosa by the Empress and which she can be seen wearing in the previous image

* Nathalie Micas – Rosa’s love for over 50 years, Nathalie supported Rosa as the artist’s wife, handling the business and domestics aspects of their life * Ernest Gambart – Extremely influential art dealer who connected Rosa’s art to an international community * Cornelius Vanderbilt – When Cornelius bought Rosa’s 16 foot painting The Horse Sale while it was touring the United States, he was the richest man in America. Later the painting was donated to the Met*