One of a kind, The Horse Fair (1852–55) is Rosa Bonheur’s most celebrated masterpiece and a triumph of nineteenth-century animal painting. Depicting the bustling horse market along Paris’s Boulevard de l’Hôpital, with the Salpêtrière asylum visible in the distance, the canvas captures power, motion, and atmosphere on a monumental scale. Bonheur devoted eighteen months to on-site sketches, often disguising herself in men’s attire to avoid scrutiny, a testament to her commitment and independence. When exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1853, the painting was hailed for its vitality and grandeur. Drawing inspiration from George Stubbs, Gericault, Delacroix, and classical sculpture, Bonheur described the work as her “Parthenon frieze,” cementing her legacy as one of France’s greatest animal painters.