Why did Rosa Bonheur need Police Permission to Wear Trousers?

Video (13:26): The Bernays Curatorial Fellow of British Paintings, Jon King, is joined by Art Historian and Independent Curator, Amy Mechowski, to discuss the life of Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899) and her painting The Horse Fair (1852–55). Video by The National Portrait Gallery, UK, 2024.

Artist Rosa Bonheur wore trousers, didn’t ride side saddle and lived with her female partner, Nathalie Micas, in 19th-century France. She also painted a self portrait into the middle of one of her most spectacular works, ‘The Horse Fair‘ – The National Portrait Gallery.

This is the detail from The Horse Fair by Rosa Bonheur that is believed to be her self-portrait.

[The copyright of the video above remains with the original holder and it is used here for the purpose of education, comparison and criticism only.]