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Jeanne Sarah Nathalie Micas was born on April 24, 1824 in Paris and died in Thomery in June 21, 1889.[1] Micas was a French painter and inventor, daughter of Louis Frédéric Micas, typographer, and Henriette Briolles.[2]
Early Life and Relationship with Rosa Bonheur
In 1836, twelve-year-old Micas met fourteen-year-old Rosa Bonheur as Bonheur was commissioned to paint a portrait of Micas. They developed a strong affection for one another and would become life companions.[3] Like her companion, Nathalie Micas obtained a cross-dressing permission document[1] authorizing her to wear pants, as it was prohibited for women to wear men's clothing in public in Paris until 2013.[4][5] Micas and other women who were authorized cross-dressing permission had to request a renewal every six months from the prefecture of Paris to be able to wear pants. While it was her preferred attire for working with paints and animals, her usual medium and subject matter, it was also speculated that her departure from clothes that align with her gender as well as her relationship with Bonheur was evidence of lesbianism.
Professional success
She moved with her mother and Rosa Bonheur, as well as a myriad of their animals, to the Château de By, in Thomery, in 1860. She worked there on a more efficient braking system for trains, which she tested thanks to the construction of a railway line built in the grounds of her home in 1861. The “Micas brake” was patented in 1862 and was exhibited at the Hall of Science at the World’s Columbian Exhibition in Chicago.[6]
Her artwork was often overshadowed by Bonheur as Micas dedicated most of her time to caring for Bonheur, tending to household activities, and handling business affairs. However, she was credited to working on the famous The Horse Fair painting with Bonheur, in which her name is rarely mentioned.[7] She has also created works such as Roosters and Chickens in a Landscape as well as Hares with Leverets.[8] She additionally exhibited some of her pieces at the Paris Salon in 1852 and 1865.[9]
Death
Micas and Bonheur stayed committed to one another until Micas's death on June 21, 1889. She died at the Château de By. She was buried on June 24th in the Père-Lachaise Cemetery, later joined by Bonheur and Anna Elizabeth Klumpke. Their collective tombstone reads, "Friendship is divine affection".[10]
References edit
- ^ "Nathalie Micas", Wikipédia (in French), 2022-12-26, retrieved 2023-03-04
- ^ "Nathalie Micas", Wikipédia (in French), 2022-12-26, retrieved 2023-03-04
- ^ Gross, Daniel A.; Chernick, Karen (2018-04-16). "The Portrait That Forged a "Divine Marriage" Between Two 19th-Century Women Painters". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "Clothes Make the (Wo)man? Pants Permits in Nineteenth-Century Paris". Wonders & Marvels. 2015-09-02. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "Paris women finally allowed to wear trousers". BBC News. 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "queerplaces - Nathalie Micas & Rosa Bonheur". www.elisarolle.com. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "The Horse Fair | Art UK". artuk.org. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "Jeanne Sarah Nathalie Micas (1824-1889) | Feminine Moments". 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "Nathalie Micas (about 1824 - 1899) | National Gallery, London". www.nationalgallery.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "The eight women artists of The National Gallery | Art UK". artuk.org. Retrieved 2023-03-04.