Etude de terrrain

1848

First medal and a 3,000-franc state commission

Bonheur won a first medal for “Oxen and Bulls of the Cantal”, which brought her a 3,000-franc state commission — for “Ploughing in the Nivernais”.

1849

“Ploughing in the Nivernais” at the Salon

Painted for the government, the picture was shown at the Salon and won a First Medal — Bonheur's first major success (other sources give that honour to “The Horse Fair”).

1853

“The Horse Fair” at the Salon

Begun in 1851, the huge canvas (2.4 × 4.9 m) of the horse market on the boulevard de l'Hôpital sparked debate among critics and collectors at the Salon and brought Bonheur into the international art world; she herself refuted the Comte de Nieuwerkerke's hint that it was a state commission.

1859

Moves to the Château de By near Fontainebleau

Her success allowed Bonheur to settle at the Château de By, where she lived for the rest of her life; Jules Saulnier designed a large studio and an enclosure there for bulls, horses, mouflons, deer, boars and rams — her models.

24 June 1889

Death of Nathalie Micas

Nathalie Micas, Bonheur's companion of more than forty years, died; the artist would later be buried with her at Père Lachaise.

25 mai 1899

Died