Portrait of Adolphe-William Bouguereau

Adolphe-William Bouguereau Painting Reproductions 7 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

The Kiss, 1863 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Kiss 1863

Oil Painting
$1961
Canvas Print
$69.52
SKU: BWA-316
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 113.7 x 86.4 cm
Private Collection

Soup, 1865 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Soup 1865

Oil Painting
$1637
SKU: BWA-317
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

La Tricoteuse, 1891 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

La Tricoteuse 1891

Oil Painting
$1835
SKU: BWA-4208
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Study of a Girl's Head, 1840 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Study of a Girl's Head 1840

Oil Painting
$1364
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-5480
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 45.7 x 38 cm
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada

Napoleon III Visiting Flood Victims of Tarascon in June 1856, 1856 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Napoleon III Visiting Flood Victims of Tarascon ... 1856

Oil Painting
$13704
Canvas Print
$61.70
SKU: BWA-5481
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 200 x 300 cm
Private Collection

Tobias Receives his Father's Blessing, 1860 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Tobias Receives his Father's Blessing 1860

Oil Painting
$2470
Canvas Print
$50.68
SKU: BWA-5482
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 153 x 119 cm
The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

The Elder Sister, 1869 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Elder Sister 1869

Oil Painting
$2025
Canvas Print
$68.76
SKU: BWA-5483
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 130.2 x 97.2 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA

Flora and Zephyr, 1875 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Flora and Zephyr 1875

Oil Painting
$2092
Canvas Print
$76.11
SKU: BWA-5484
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Musee des Beaux Arts, Mulhouse, France

Portrait of Monsieur M, 1850 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Portrait of Monsieur M 1850

Oil Painting
$1727
Canvas Print
$64.39
SKU: BWA-5485
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 87 x 70.5 cm
Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena, USA

La Tricoteuse (The Little Knitter), 1884 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

La Tricoteuse (The Little Knitter) 1884

Oil Painting
$1895
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-5486
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 131 x 71 cm
Private Collection

The Book Hours, 1867 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Book Hours 1867

Oil Painting
$1685
Canvas Print
$88.51
SKU: BWA-5487
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 66 x 53.3 cm
Private Collection

Self Portrait, 1879 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Self Portrait 1879

Oil Painting
$1498
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-5488
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 46.5 x 38.5 cm
Musee des Beaux-Arts de Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The Ford, 1895 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Ford 1895

Oil Painting
$2049
Canvas Print
$57.16
SKU: BWA-5489
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 155 x 71 cm
Collection of Fred and Sherry Ross, New Jersey, USA

Portrait of Miss Elizabeth Gardner, 1879 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Portrait of Miss Elizabeth Gardner 1879

Oil Painting
$1749
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-5490
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 46 x 38.5 cm
Collection of Fred and Sherry Ross, New Jersey, USA

Portrait of Miss Brissac, 1863 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Portrait of Miss Brissac 1863

Oil Painting
$1873
Canvas Print
$100.94
SKU: BWA-5491
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 91 x 71 cm
Private Collection

Waiting, 1902 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Waiting 1902

Oil Painting
$1859
SKU: BWA-5492
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Young Shepherdess, 1868 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Young Shepherdess 1868

Oil Painting
$1919
Canvas Print
$68.46
SKU: BWA-5493
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 106 x 72 cm
Private Collection

Little Girl Holding Apples in Her Hands, 1895 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Little Girl Holding Apples in Her Hands 1895

Oil Painting
$1771
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-5494
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 90.8 x 54 cm
Private Collection

Virgin and Lamb, 1903 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Virgin and Lamb 1903

Oil Painting
$1811
SKU: BWA-5495
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 114.3 x 114.3 cm
Private Collection

Irene, 1897 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Irene 1897

Oil Painting
$1424
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-5496
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 46 x 38.1 cm
Private Collection

Portrait of a Young Girl, 1896 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Portrait of a Young Girl 1896

Oil Painting
$1448
SKU: BWA-5497
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

A Dream of Spring, 1901 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

A Dream of Spring 1901

Oil Painting
$3726
Canvas Print
$65.23
SKU: BWA-5498
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Little Brother, 1900 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Little Brother 1900

Oil Painting
$2049
Canvas Print
$67.23
SKU: BWA-5499
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 100 x 73 cm
Private Collection

Day, 1884 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Day 1884

Oil Painting
$2008
SKU: BWA-5500
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

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