CHÂTEAU ROSA BONHEUR
A remarkable château to visit in Thomery, to discover the studio of Rosa Bonheur, the famous animal painter.
If ever there was a place to visit, it's Rosa Bonheur's studio, the home of a 19th-century animal painter, an extraordinary, world-famous woman who, armed with brushes and her pants, roamed the forests and livestock fairs to sketch her models. The first woman to buy her own property through her work, Rosa acquired the Château de By in 1859, where she painted surrounded by animals. A lover of nature, she fought to preserve the forest of Fontainebleau, arguing that animals had a soul.
The studio-museum provides an intimate insight into the working methods of one of France's most illustrious painters, who was also the first woman to be awarded the Légion d'honneur in 1865, presented to her by Empress Eugénie on these very premises. It's not so much a reconstruction as a perfectly preserved record of the artist's life, her furniture, her treasures, the Sioux costume donated by Buffalo Bill and the many animal horns, whose curves are a beautiful symbol of the artistic gesture, between nature and free movement.
The museum is not only an opportunity to get a little closer to Rosa Bonheur, but also to the taste and daily life of the period, through objects of ordinary life. They allow us to better experience and understand these other times. To extend the experience, the château also offers its own guest rooms, as well as a charming tearoom and, last but not least, a souvenir store.
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