What you are looking at
Grooms struggle to control powerful gray and dark horses at a Paris horse market, the animals rearing and kicking up dust under the trees.
Why it is famous
Rosa Bonheur painted it between 1852 and 1855, and it made her one of the most famous artists of her time, at a time when few women could make a career in painting. Cornelius Vanderbilt gave it to the Met in 1887.
How big is The Horse Fair?
The Horse Fair measures 244.5 × 506.7 cm (96.3 × 199.5 in), without its frame. Its surface is about 29 times the area of the Mona Lisa.
Compare it with other paintings
Where to see it
It is at the Met in New York, and it is huge: more than 5 meters wide.
Museums move and lend paintings. Check the museum's website before you travel to see one work. See all famous paintings in New York.
Also at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Frequently asked questions
Who painted The Horse Fair?
Rosa Bonheur painted The Horse Fair in 1852 to 1855.
Where is The Horse Fair?
The Horse Fair is in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States. (Gallery 812.)
How big is The Horse Fair?
244.5 × 506.7 cm (96.3 × 199.5 in). Its surface is about 29 times the area of the Mona Lisa.
What is The Horse Fair made with?
Oil on canvas.
Sources: The Met, "The Horse Fair" (87.25); Wikidata Q40432; Wikipedia, "The Horse Fair". Checked October 17, 2026. How we check.