Portrait of Adolphe-William Bouguereau

Adolphe-William Bouguereau Painting Reproductions 10 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

Cain and Abel, 1861 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Cain and Abel 1861

Oil Painting
$2905
Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: BWA-10283
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 196.2 x 150.5 cm
Private Collection

Difficult Lesson, 1880 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Difficult Lesson 1880

Oil Painting
$1811
Canvas Print
$57.92
SKU: BWA-10284
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 95.9 x 60.3 cm
Private Collection

Italian Child Holding a Crust of Bread, 1874 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Italian Child Holding a Crust of Bread 1874

Oil Painting
$1376
Canvas Print
$62.64
SKU: BWA-10285
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 54.5 x 46 cm
Private Collection

Little Esmeralda, 1874 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Little Esmeralda 1874

Oil Painting
$1963
Canvas Print
$55.63
SKU: BWA-10286
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 88.9 x 54.6 cm
Private Collection

The Oreads, 1902 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Oreads 1902

Canvas Print
$57.16
SKU: BWA-10287
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Songs of Spring, 1889 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Songs of Spring 1889

Oil Painting
$2372
Canvas Print
$50.02
SKU: BWA-10288
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 148 x 99 cm
Private Collection

Innocence, 1873 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Innocence 1873

Oil Painting
$1626
Canvas Print
$93.52
SKU: BWA-11682
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 66.6 x 56.2 cm
Private Collection

Oranges, 1865 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Oranges 1865

Oil Painting
$2570
Canvas Print
$50.08
SKU: BWA-11683
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 117 x 90 cm
Private Collection

The Bacchante, 1862 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Bacchante 1862

Oil Painting
$1761
Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: BWA-13064
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Musee des Beaux Arts, Bordeaux, France

Night, 1883 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Night 1883

Oil Painting
$1997
Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: BWA-17008
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 208.3 x 107.3 cm
Public Collection

Cupid Victorious, 1886 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Cupid Victorious 1886

Oil Painting
$1787
Canvas Print
$55.79
SKU: BWA-17010
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 164 x 122.5 cm
Private Collection

Girl with Grapes, 1874 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Girl with Grapes 1874

Oil Painting
$1759
SKU: BWA-17109
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 140 x 63 cm
New Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, Denmark

The Little Knitter, 1875 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Little Knitter 1875

Oil Painting
$2075
SKU: BWA-17110
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 115 x 81 cm
Private Collection

Daughter of Fisherman, 1872 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Daughter of Fisherman 1872

Oil Painting
$2399
Canvas Print
$58.54
SKU: BWA-18981
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 116 x 87.5 cm
Fuji Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan

New
Springtime, 1858 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Springtime 1858

Oil Painting
$1991
Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: BWA-19626
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 79.4 x 151.8 cm
Private Collection

New
Reverie, 1899 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Reverie 1899

Oil Painting
$1927
Canvas Print
$51.67
SKU: BWA-19627
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 111 x 76.5 cm
Private Collection

New
Harvesting Hazelnuts, 1883 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Harvesting Hazelnuts 1883

Oil Painting
$2481
Canvas Print
$52.77
SKU: BWA-19628
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 161.6 x 113.7 cm
Private Collection

New
Getting Up, 1865 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Getting Up 1865

Oil Painting
$3116
Canvas Print
$57.71
SKU: BWA-19629
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 115.6 x 89 cm
Private Collection

New
Lullaby (Bedtime), 1873 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Lullaby (Bedtime) 1873

Oil Painting
$2278
Canvas Print
$57.44
SKU: BWA-19630
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 112 x 86.5 cm
Private Collection

New
Maternal Admiration - The Bath, 1869 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Maternal Admiration - The Bath 1869

Oil Painting
$3149
Canvas Print
$57.03
SKU: BWA-19631
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 130 x 99.7 cm
Private Collection

New
Big Sister, 1877 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Big Sister 1877

Oil Painting
$2068
Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: BWA-19632
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 144.8 x 87.6 cm
Private Collection

New
On the Rock, 1872 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

On the Rock 1872

Oil Painting
$1841
Canvas Print
$54.14
SKU: BWA-19633
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 114 x 82.5 cm
Private Collection

New
Between Wealth and Love, 1869 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Between Wealth and Love 1869

Oil Painting
$3346
Canvas Print
$61.01
SKU: BWA-19634
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 106.5 x 89 cm
Private Collection

New
The Pearl, 1894 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Pearl 1894

Oil Painting
$1367
Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: BWA-19635
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 141 x 75.6 cm
Private Collection

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