Portrait of Adolphe-William Bouguereau

Adolphe-William Bouguereau Painting Reproductions 9 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

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

Cupid and Psyche as Children (Detail) 1889

Canvas Print
$88.25
SKU: BWA-6289
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

The Jewel of the Fields (Detail), 1884 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Jewel of the Fields (Detail) 1884

Canvas Print
$62.88
SKU: BWA-6290
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Musee des Beaux-Arts de Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The Jewel of the Fields (Detail), 1884 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Jewel of the Fields (Detail) 1884

Canvas Print
$70.60
SKU: BWA-6291
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Musee des Beaux-Arts de Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Italian Girl Drawing Water, 1871 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Italian Girl Drawing Water 1871

Oil Painting
$1579
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-6292
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 119.5 x 79 cm
Private Collection

Head of a Little Girl, 1888 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Head of a Little Girl 1888

Oil Painting
$1104
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-6293
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 24 x 18.5 cm
Private Collection

Portrait of Leonie Bouguereau, 1850 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Portrait of Leonie Bouguereau 1850

Oil Painting
$930
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-6294
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 28.5 x 23 cm
Private Collection

Our Lady of the Angels, 1889 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Our Lady of the Angels 1889

Paper Art Print
$47.83
SKU: BWA-6295
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Study of a Woman for Offering to Love, n.d. by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Study of a Woman for Offering to Love n.d.

Oil Painting
$1104
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-6296
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Dawn, n.d. by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Dawn n.d.

Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-6297
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

The Storm, n.d. by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Storm n.d.

Oil Painting
$2049
Canvas Print
$50.65
SKU: BWA-8331
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 90.8 x 50.5 cm
Private Collection

The Italian Girl with Basque's Tambourin, 1872 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Italian Girl with Basque's Tambourin 1872

Oil Painting
$2248
Canvas Print
$69.52
SKU: BWA-8332
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 141.6 x 106.7 cm
Private Collection

Temptation, n.d. by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Temptation n.d.

Oil Painting
$1933
Canvas Print
$70.14
SKU: BWA-8333
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 58.7 x 79 cm
Private Collection

Young Shepherdess, 1887 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Young Shepherdess 1887

Oil Painting
$1891
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-8334
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 157.5 x 73.7 cm
Private Collection

Night, 1883 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Night 1883

Paper Art Print
$47.83
SKU: BWA-8335
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 47.6 x 31.8 cm
Private Collection

Amour and Psyche, 1899 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Amour and Psyche 1899

Oil Painting
$2264
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-10273
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 218.7 x 129.2 cm
Private Collection

Girl with Pitcher, 1885 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Girl with Pitcher 1885

Oil Painting
$1835
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-10274
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 96.5 x 61.5 cm
Private Collection

The Veil, 1898 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Veil 1898

Oil Painting
$1893
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-10275
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 114.3 x 80 cm
Private Collection

Glaneuse, 1894 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Glaneuse 1894

Oil Painting
$1833
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-10276
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 106.7 x 65 cm
Private Collection

Le Voeu a Sainte-Anne-D'auray, 1869 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Le Voeu a Sainte-Anne-D'auray 1869

Oil Painting
$2329
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-10277
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 147.3 x 89.5 cm
Private Collection

Morning Breakfast, 1887 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Morning Breakfast 1887

Oil Painting
$1943
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-10278
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 90.8 x 55.9 cm
Private Collection

The Reading, 1895 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Reading 1895

Oil Painting
$1849
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-10279
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 116.8 x 80.6 cm
Private Collection

Distraction, 1868 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Distraction 1868

Oil Painting
$1483
Canvas Print
$77.05
SKU: BWA-10280
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 61 x 50.2 cm
Private Collection

The Lamb, 1897 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Lamb 1897

Oil Painting
$2248
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-10281
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 181.3 x 92.1 cm
Private Collection

Youth, 1893 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Youth 1893

Oil Painting
$3048
Canvas Print
$50.22
SKU: BWA-10282
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 191 x 122 cm
Private Collection

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