Rosa Bonheur and her Chateau de By

Rosa Bonheur's Chateau de By

Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899) grew up in a family of artists, but she soon became more famous than her father and siblings. At the age of 19, she was allowed to exhibit two paintings at the Paris Salon. This was an annual art exhibition where a strict jury decided who could exhibit.

She soon became very famous. With the proceeds of her most famous painting, The Horse Market, she bought a castle in the village of By, near Thomery. Here she painted impressive portraits of the animals she kept in her stables or encountered in the woods surrounding her chateau.

She had a large collection of animals. These included lions, horses, oxen and monkeys that lived in the stable next to her studio. Her house was next to the woods of Fontainebleau, where she regularly painted deer and foxes.

Independent woman

Rosa Bonheur was the first female artist to receive the Légion d'Honneur, France's highest decoration. Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, paid her an unannounced visit at her studio. Rosa was now famous throughout much of Europe and the United States.

She was a progressive woman. She lived with women, had short hair, wore long trousers and was financially independent. All of this was unusual for women in the 19th century. To wear those long trousers, she had to get permission from the doctor and the police each year.

You may come across the name Rosa Bonheur in museums but also in other locations. In Paris, there are several ‘guinguettes’ that bear her name. A guinguette is a bar, dance hall or restaurant on the banks of a river or lake.

Rosa Bonheur Museum

You can visit her home in the village of Thomery. You have to book in advance and then you will get a tour of the house. The studios and other rooms look as if Rosa is just out for a stroll and could return any minute.

If your French is not so good, you can mention this at the site. You will then be given an English leaflet to read during your visit.

Do you want to immerse yourself in that era? Rent a room and sleep in Rosa's former bedroom or in her winter studio. That would be a special experience!

Exhibition at The Mesdag Collection in The Hague

For the first time in the Netherlands, an exhibition will be devoted entirely to Rosa Bonheur. In The Mesdag Collection you will see her landscape studies, drawings, oil sketches and some sculptures. Together they offer a unique insight into her work. The exhibition runs until 19 January 2025.

During the exhibition, the museum will also be organising talks, special guided tours on 'Cows in the collection' and drawing workshops.
More information on the programme

_{Anna Klumpke and Rosa Bonheur, 1898. © Château de Rosa Bonheur, By-Thomery}

The trip to Thomery near Paris

You can visit the chateau by train, by train and bike or by train and bus.

• Train: Book a ticket to Paris and transfer at Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon. You will travel two stops with line D and you can use a metro ticket. For times, you can check the website or the RATP app. At the Gare de Lyon, take the R-line to Thomery. The 'Départs Grandes Lignes' signs will tell you which platform the R-line will depart from. The platforms are indicated by letters or numbers.
  The train takes 45 minutes to get to Thomery. Once there, walk another 1.5 km to the chateau.
• Train and bus: You can also take the R train to Fontainebleau-Avon and then a bus to Thomery. Walk one kilometre to the Musée Rosa Bonheur.
• Train and bike: You can take the train to Fontainebleau-Avon. From there, walk to the centre and hire a bike from À la Petite Reine. Then cycle to the museum. The route is through the woods, but you can also cycle on the main road. Cars are very considerate of cyclists. .