Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899) was the great painter of animals in 19th century France. Encouraged by her father, the Jewish and Humanist painter Raimond Bonheur (1796–1849), who believed girls should be educated along side of the boys, Bonheur was drawing at a very early age. By 1848, her painting Ploughing in the Nivernais (Musée d’Orsay) was included in the Salon. It was highly regarded and brought her immediate success. In the 1853 Salon she exhibited The Horse Fair (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) which established Bonheur as one of the best painters of her time. Although it was rare for women to be accepted as artists, her skill was undeniable and her works sold and were reproduced widely. In 1865, she became the first woman to be accepted into the Legion d’Honneur and was promoted to Officer of the Order in 1894.

Bonheur had a great love and respect of animals. Unlike the predominantly Catholic French society she lived in, she believed animals had a soul. In her works, she gave particular attention to the animal’s eyes, giving the animal an expression that implied their unique personality.