Château de By, Historical château in Thomery, France
Château de By is a castle in Thomery situated on a 4-hectare park beside the Fontainebleau forest, featuring a neo-Gothic studio with large windows for natural light. The museum displays Rosa Bonheur's original paint containers, work tools, personal archives, and rotating exhibitions of her animal paintings.
The château was built in the 15th century as a seigneurial residence and reconstructed in the 18th century before artist Rosa Bonheur acquired it in 1859. Following her purchase, it became a center for artistic research and animal studies.
The château houses one of the oldest preserved photographic laboratories, which Rosa Bonheur used to document and study animals for her paintings. This laboratory shows how the artist adopted new technologies to perfect her animal painting practice.
The grounds can be explored along paved paths that lead to different parts of the park and studio. Visiting works best during opening hours when guided tours are available.
The artist maintained a menagerie of around 250 animals on the grounds, including deer from the neighboring forest, which she observed and painted directly. This living collection was an unusual art studio and shows her unconventional approach to studying nature.
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