Rosa Bonheur and Laurence Saunois: Two Animal Artists Bridging France and the United States
Le marché aux chevaux de Rosa Bonheur
Rosa Bonheur was a trailblazer. A woman of conviction, she built a life and a career centered on her passion for animals — a path few women had dared to take in the 19th century. Her success was remarkable: she achieved international fame, exhibited in the United States, and even met Queen Victoria. Her work transcended borders and eras.
As a contemporary French artist, I have always been moved by her journey. Like Rosa Bonheur, I chose to dedicate my life to animal art. My career began in the early 2000s when I became a member of the Society of Animal Artists (SAA), the oldest international organization for wildlife art based in the United States. I have participated in several of their annual exhibitions and numerous National Tours. Being accepted and awarded by this prestigious society was a turning point and opened the doors to an international career.
Today, decades apart, we share the same desire: to celebrate the animal world with respect and sensitivity, and to bring our artistic vision across borders.
Through drawing, charcoal, scratchboard, or oil painting, I strive — like Bonheur did — to express the soul and dignity of the living world. My work is regularly exhibited in the United States, and I continue to nurture this precious link between France and America.
Art can travel, inspire, and connect. Rosa Bonheur showed the way. And today, I humbly follow in her footsteps — with the same love for animals and the same hope of touching hearts through art.
Rosa Bonheur was not only an exceptional artist—she was also a woman ahead of her time. Defying the conventions of her era, she obtained official permission to wear trousers, allowing her to more easily visit livestock markets and rural areas where she studied her subjects. Her commitment to anatomical accuracy and her deep respect for living beings shine through in every brushstroke. It is this discipline, combined with a profound empathy for the animal world, that gives her work a timeless power.
