Sheet of Studies for "The Horse Fair" 1840 - 1899

Rosa Bonheur created this pencil sketch on paper, a study for her monumental painting “The Horse Fair.” The artist’s hand is evident in the dynamic, energetic strokes, capturing the movement and vitality of horses. The medium of pencil allows for a directness and immediacy, quite different from Bonheur's highly finished canvases. Graphite, derived from mined mineral deposits, here becomes an instrument for conveying the raw energy of labor and trade—the horse fair being a marketplace for animal power. Note how Bonheur uses layering, massing darker tones to give volume to the figures. See how the pressure and angle of the pencil determines the line quality, building depth and texture through hatching and shading. There’s a clear sense of physicality—of Bonheur working the material to capture a sense of work itself. In this sketch we see not just the depiction of horses, but the artist's labor of observation, interpretation, and skillful translation onto paper. It’s a reminder that even in the most refined artworks, material and making are always fundamental.