Review by Booklist Review
Inspired by watching her father at work, young Rosa Bonheur dreamed of creating her own paintings and supporting herself someday. It was an unconventional, impractical notion in nineteenth-century France, but with her father's guidance and her talent and determination, she succeeded. She was in her teens when her paintings were first exhibited at the Paris Salon. After receiving an exemption from the law forbidding women to wear men's clothing so she could go unnoticed in men-only spaces, she learned anatomy not just from books, but by viewing skeletons at medical schools, visiting slaughterhouses, and attending horse markets where women were usually not allowed. The book showcases Bonheur's creation of her masterpiece, The Horse Fair. Perhaps Sanderson, one of the few contemporary children's book illustrators who sometimes paints in oils and often includes realistic depictions of animals, feels a kinship with Bonheur, who after extensive research and planning, spent a year "expressing her love of horses in oil paint on canvas" (a reference to The Horse Fair). The book's back matter includes a bibliography of books on drawing horses, reproductions of five Bonheur paintings, and a list of museums displaying her works worldwide. With a clearly written narrative and beautifully composed oil paintings, this picture book offers a memorable introduction to Rosa Bonheur.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Sanderson illuminates the life of 19th-century French animalière Marie-Rosalie "Rosa" Bonheur (1822--1899) in this feminist picture book, following Bonheur's lifelong love of portraying horses, which involved sketching "the muscles of animals in a local slaughterhouse" and moving into a studio with a stable. Sanderson imbues the straightforward text with a clear sense of process: "After transferring her design, Rosa drew out the basic outlines with burnt red ochre oil paint." Two particularly engrossing spreads showcase a mural-size painting in progress, and textured oil illustrations envisage Bonheur's story of determination in a realistic style richly evocative of the subject's own. Back matter includes detailed information on Bonheur, her life, and her art. Ages 6--12. (Feb.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--8--Sanderson tells the anachronistic story of the life and work of French artist, Rosa Bonheur. Bonheur was born to parents Sophie and Raymond in 1822. Her father, an artist, delighted in her vibrant personality and artistic abilities. Facing the gender inequalities of her time, Bonheur was often taunted by men and boys who felt ladies had no place among the animals and wildlife she so loved. She overcame this to become one of the greatest realistic painters of her time. Sanderson's oil painting illustrations bring Bonheur and her experiences to life. The level of detail on each page allows readers to immerse themselves into the world of the French painter. The concise and informative writing style will please any biography lover. Sanderson addresses Bonheur's sexuality swiftly in the back matter. VERDICT An engrossing and stunning biography of a feminist and LGBTQIA+ icon who deserves more accolades and adoration than evident to present day; especially recommended for art or women's history students.--Brittany McMahon
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A profile of groundbreaking 19th-century French animalier Rosa Bonheur. Sanderson, herself a realistic painter whose initial artistic inspiration was horses, crafts an engaging biography whose dramatic oil compositions and engrossing narrative will pull in other equine aficionados. Peppering the text with horse imagery (Rosa "galloped into the world" and was sent "trotting back home" for being naughty at boarding school), Sanderson describes how Bonheur (1822-1899) was introduced to art as a child by her artist father who took her under his tutelage. At school, she "covered her papers with animal sketches," and as a teenager, she trained at the Louvre; Bonheur went on to study horse anatomy at a medical school and horse musculature at a slaughterhouse. Sanderson explains the period's limitations on women's ambitions and its expectations regarding marriage--something headstrong Bonheur had "no interest in." Thus, it is impressive that her paintings were shown at the Paris Salon annual exhibition, where she won a gold medal. It was her masterpiece, The Horse Fair, however--at 8 feet tall by 16 1/2 feet wide--that garnered international attention and the most critical praise. Sanderson details the various steps in executing a work of this scale; the illustrations depict the painting studies, red ochre outlines and layering, and Bonheur on a ladder adding personality to each horse. Sanderson states that Bonheur was aided by her "companion" Nathalie. The extensive backmatter includes information about Bonheur's lesbian identity. An inspiring glimpse into the talent and drive of a woman who marched to the beat of a different drummer. (author's note, bibliography, resources, sources, image credits) (Picture-book biography. 6-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
