Study for The Horse Fair
1850
oil
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
1850
oil
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
You see a dozen horses walking in a circle, some with riders, in a sketchy black-and-white oil painting. The horses are the main focus, but what's interesting is that they're all shadowy figures, which suggests the artist was experimenting with light and dark. This was likely a practice piece to get the horses' movements right. Check out the work of Rosa Bonheur to learn more about her style and other paintings.
