Isidore Jules Bonheur

Trained by his father at an early age, Isadore Bonheur learned to draw by sketching animals and street life. He was an animal and landscape painter until 1848, when he abandoned painting to concentrate on sculpture. Bonheur specialized in horses and is particularly known for his sculptures of horse races. He realistically represented farm animals, bears, and tigers as well as other wildlife. While his older sister Rosa Bonheur overshadowed his success, he did receive critical acclaim and a gold medal at the Universal Exchange.