Portrait of Adolphe-William Bouguereau

Adolphe-William Bouguereau Painting Reproductions 3 of 11

1825-1905

French Academic Classicism Painter

Adolphe-William Bouguereau (1825-1905) was a French academic painter. He was a traditionalist whose polished and idealized paintings emphasized mythological and religious subjects. Bouguereau was a highly successful artist during his lifetime, but his work fell out of favor with the rise of modern art. In recent decades, there has been a revival of interest in his paintings.

Adolphe-William Bouguereau was born on November 30, 1825, in La Rochelle, France. He showed an early talent for drawing and was sent to study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux. In 1846, Bouguereau won the Prix de Rome, a prestigious scholarship that allowed him to study classical art in Rome. During his four years in Italy, Bouguereau studied Renaissance masters like Raphael and Michelangelo, who would greatly influence his own style.

After returning to France, Bouguereau established himself as a history and religious painter. He depicted scenes from ancient mythology, the Bible, and the lives of the saints. His paintings were praised for their skillful draftsmanship, use of rich colors, and idealized beauty. Bouguereau employed a meticulous painting technique and often made dozens of preparatory sketches for a single work.

In 1850, Bouguereau was awarded the Legion of Honor, the highest decoration in France. He gained widespread fame and was in high demand as a portraitist for aristocrats and the bourgeoisie. Bouguereau's paintings were very popular at the annual Paris Salon, and he served as an official judge at the Salon for decades.

Bouguereau's style embodied the French Academy's emphasis on technical skill, classical subjects, and ideal beauty. His paintings were praised for their polished finish and photographic realism. However, with the rise of modern art in the late 19th century, Bouguereau's traditional style fell out of favor. Younger avant-garde artists criticized his work as superficial, sentimental, and detached from contemporary life.

Despite the criticism, Bouguereau remained popular with collectors and the public until his death. He continued exhibiting at the Salon until 1904. Bouguereau passed away on August 19, 1905, at the age of 79, in his hometown of La Rochelle, France.

For most of the 20th century, Bouguereau's work was dismissed by art historians and critics. However, since the 1980s, there has been a revival of interest in his paintings. Bouguereau is now recognized as a master of the academic style, with a technical virtuosity and idealized sensuality that appeals to modern audiences. His works are held in major museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Musée d'Orsay, and the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Bouguereau's work is now seen as a pinnacle of skill and craftsmanship, rather than mere sentimentality. His paintings are admired for their visual splendor and idealization of the human form. His sensual and decorative style appeals to modern sensibilities more attuned to sexuality and the body. Paintings like The Birth of Venus have become popular and recognizable.

Bouguereau's work represents an important aspect of 19th-century French painting that was long overlooked. His immense popularity and mastery of the Salon style are now recognized as significant. Though the Impressionists rebelled against his style, Bouguereau was an inspiration for later painters like Salvador Dalí, who praised his technical skill and "virtuosity." Bouguereau's work has parallels with 20th-century Surrealism.

Bouguereau's paintings have become highly sought after in the art market, with major works selling for millions of dollars. His revival is linked to a renewed interest in academic and figurative painting among collectors.

Bouguereau has emerged from obscurity to regain his place as a pivotal figure in 19th-century art. His masterful paintings are once again admired for their visual splendor, technical brilliance, and embodiment of traditional values. Bouguereau's revival reflects a desire to reexamine art history and a newfound appreciation for the academic style he helped define.

241 Bouguereau Paintings

Work Interrupted (Penelope), 1891 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Work Interrupted (Penelope) 1891

Oil Painting
$2257
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-220
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 160 x 99.7 cm
Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, Massachusetts, USA

Evening Mood, 1882 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Evening Mood 1882

Oil Painting
$1200
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-221
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 207.5 x 108 cm
National Museum of Art, Havana

Portrait of Madame la Comtesse de Cambaceres, 1895 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Portrait of Madame la Comtesse de Cambaceres 1895

Oil Painting
$2238
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-222
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 121 x 90 cm
Seattle Art Museum, Washington, USA

The Shell, 1871 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Shell 1871

Oil Painting
$2071
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-223
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 131 x 89.5 cm
Private Collection

Zenobia Found by Shepherds on the Banks, 1850 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Zenobia Found by Shepherds on the Banks 1850

Oil Painting
$4239
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-224
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 148 x 118 cm
Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France

The Return of Spring, 1886 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Return of Spring 1886

Oil Painting
$3726
Canvas Print
$53.10
SKU: BWA-225
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 215 x 117 cm
Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, USA

The Abduction of Psyche, 1895 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Abduction of Psyche 1895

Oil Painting
$2130
Canvas Print
$52.18
SKU: BWA-226
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 209 x 120 cm
Private Collection

Cupid and Psyche as Children, 1889 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Cupid and Psyche as Children 1889

Oil Painting
$2049
Canvas Print
$56.02
SKU: BWA-227
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 119.5 x 71 cm
Private Collection

At the Edge of the River, 1875 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

At the Edge of the River 1875

Oil Painting
$1873
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-228
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Jeunes Bohemiennes (Young Gypsies), 1879 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Jeunes Bohemiennes (Young Gypsies) 1879

Oil Painting
$1919
Canvas Print
$55.41
SKU: BWA-229
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 166 x 99 cm
Collection of Fred and Sherry Ross, New Jersey, USA

Just a Taste, 1895 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Just a Taste 1895

Oil Painting
$1859
Canvas Print
$55.71
SKU: BWA-230
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 115.5 x 70 cm
Private Collection

Cupid with a Butterfly, 1888 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Cupid with a Butterfly 1888

Oil Painting
$1873
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-231
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 116.8 x 68 cm
Private Collection

The Knitter, 1884 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Knitter 1884

Oil Painting
$1939
SKU: BWA-232
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Springfield Museum of Art, Ohio, USA

The Little Sulk, 1888 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Little Sulk 1888

Oil Painting
$2025
Canvas Print
$87.18
SKU: BWA-233
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 123 x 86 cm
Rahr-West Art Museum, Wisconsin, USA

Pastourelle (Shepherdess), 1889 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Pastourelle (Shepherdess) 1889

Oil Painting
$2236
Canvas Print
$52.95
SKU: BWA-234
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 159 x 93 cm
Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, USA

The Little Beggar, 1880 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Little Beggar 1880

Oil Painting
$1835
SKU: BWA-235
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Collection of Fred and Sherry Ross, New Jersey, USA

Douleur d'amour (Elegy), 1899 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Douleur d'amour (Elegy) 1899

Oil Painting
$2284
Canvas Print
$79.32
SKU: BWA-236
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

A Little Coaxing, 1890 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

A Little Coaxing 1890

Oil Painting
$1979
Canvas Print
$57.10
SKU: BWA-237
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 145 x 91 cm
Private Collection

The Spinner, 1873 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Spinner 1873

Oil Painting
$1919
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-238
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 160 x 91.5 cm
Private Collection

Young Girl Going to the Fountain, 1885 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Young Girl Going to the Fountain 1885

Oil Painting
$1835
Canvas Print
$56.81
SKU: BWA-239
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 160.5 x 73.5 cm
Dahesh Museum of Art, New York, USA

The Little Knitter, 1882 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Little Knitter 1882

Oil Painting
$1859
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-240
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 100.5 x 60.5 cm
Appleton Museum of Art at Florida College, Ocala, USA

The Virgin, the Baby Jesus and St. John the Baptist, 1875 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Virgin, the Baby Jesus and St. John the Baptist 1875

Oil Painting
$2837
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-241
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 200.5 x 122 cm
Private Collection

The Heart's Awakening, 1892 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Heart's Awakening 1892

Oil Painting
$2662
Canvas Print
$85.39
SKU: BWA-242
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 160 x 111 cm
Private Collection

A Calling, 1890 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

A Calling 1890

Oil Painting
$1517
SKU: BWA-243
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

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