The Work of William Adolphe Bouguereau |
Posted: March 5, 2015 |
Born in La Rochelle, France, William Adolphe Bouguereau was a traditionalist and academic painter. He was one of the most renowned painters associated with the realism movement in the 19th century France and the United States. Bouguereau came from a family of wine and olive merchants and was almost on the path of joining the family business before he was sent to high school by his uncle who was a Roman Catholic priest. Displaying a skill in talent, he was arranged to be sent to the École des Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux, France where he emerged as a prodigy in painting. He received numerous honors and his work was sold for top prices during most of his lifetime, but fell out to the changing tastes in the early 20th century. It was only till 1980 till the revival of figure painting led to the re-discovery of Bouguereau. Let us take a look at some of Bouguereau’s notable works. 1. La Danse
From Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons Painted in 1856, the portrait depicts two maidens dancing on the clouds with a maiden in the nude with a tambourine. The dimensions of the painting are 70.87 inch wide x 144.49 inch high. La Danse is currently displayed at the Musée D'Orsay, Paris, France. 2. The Return of SpringFrom Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons The painting was created in 1886, by Bouguereau and is one the best known paintings by Bouguereau. A replica of the painting also made a cameo in the 1993 film ‘The Age of Innocence’. The Return of the spring depicts a nude lady who is hiding her breasts from the angels who surround her. The painting was attacked twice due to the attackers being offended by the painting’s nudity. During both the attacks the damages were minimal. The painting can be viewed at the Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska. 3. The Bohemian
From Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons This painting was created in 1890, and depicts a young woman sitting barefooted on a concrete bench with a violin. In the backdrop to her right is the visible bark of a Maple tree and the river Seine in the backdrop. The imposing structure in the background is the Notre Dame de Paris. The painting was a portrait of a real life model who was employed by Bouguereau for this and several other paintings. The painting was last displayed in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts till it was auctioned in 2004. 4. Nymphs and Satyr
From Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons One of the most iconic paintings of the impressionist era, Nymphs and Satyr was created by Bouguereau in 1873. The painting depicts a group of bathing nymphs who have been apparently surprised by the arrival of a satyr. In the background we can see a couple of nymphs who have taken shelter, but some braver than the others are trying to pull the satyr inside the water. The painting is currently the prized possession of the Clark Art Institute. 5. InnocenceFrom Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons Also known as L’Innocence, the painting was created in 1893, and depicts a woman carrying a young child and a lamb. The child and the Lamb both are the sign of innocence which justify the name of the painting. The woman’s clothing is plain and the combination of whitish-green and dazzling white clothes also accentuates the theme in the painting. Rise to Fame and FallBouguereau was considered to be one of the greatest painters of his time and was revered by the Academic art community and made a great name in Holland, Belgium, France, United States and Spain. Bouguereau’s career as a painter was undisputed mostly though his early years and he was also noted by the famous painters like Monet as the greatest 19th Century painter. His works were sold at high prices, and were especially sought after by the American millionaires during the early 20th century. His work received a major setback in the 1920s due the rise of the impressionist movement and the opposition of his style due to the nudity portrayed in the paintings. The changing tastes of the people during the 1920s were also a major reason for the decline of his art. In 1974, the lost art of William Adolphe Bouguereau were exhibited by the Ney York Cultural Center and again revisited the majesty of these once valuable works of art.
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