Portrait of Adolphe-William Bouguereau

Adolphe-William Bouguereau Painting Reproductions 2 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 Pet Bird, 1867 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Pet Bird 1867

Oil Painting
$1995
Canvas Print
$50.90
SKU: BWA-196
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 81.9 x 66 cm
Private Collection

The Broken Pitcher, 1891 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Broken Pitcher 1891

Oil Painting
$1975
Canvas Print
$50.90
SKU: BWA-197
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 134.6 x 83.8 cm
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, California, USA

Rest in Harvest, 1865 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Rest in Harvest 1865

Oil Painting
$1825
Canvas Print
$50.90
SKU: BWA-198
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 81.3 x 147.3 cm
Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, USA

Child at Bath, 1886 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Child at Bath 1886

Oil Painting
$2089
Canvas Print
$50.90
SKU: BWA-199
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 83.5 x 61.6 cm
Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA

Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist, 1882 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist 1882

Oil Painting
$2875
Canvas Print
$50.90
SKU: BWA-200
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 190.5 x 111 cm
Herbert F Johnson Museum of Art, Ithaca, USA

Charity, 1878 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Charity 1878

Oil Painting
$2989
Canvas Print
$56.16
SKU: BWA-201
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 196 x 117 cm
Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, USA

Virgin and Child, 1888 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Virgin and Child 1888

Oil Painting
$2547
Canvas Print
$74.78
SKU: BWA-202
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 176.5 x 103 cm
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

Song of the Angels, 1881 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Song of the Angels 1881

Oil Painting
$4349
Canvas Print
$50.90
SKU: BWA-203
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 213.4 x 152.4 cm
Museum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, USA

The Flagellation of Christ, 1880 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Flagellation of Christ 1880

Oil Painting
$8851
Canvas Print
$89.80
SKU: BWA-204
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 309 x 212 cm
La Rochelle Cathedral, La Rochelle, France

Young Girl Defending Herself against Eros, 1880 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Young Girl Defending Herself against Eros 1880

Oil Painting
$2333
Canvas Print
$52.88
SKU: BWA-205
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 81.6 x 57.8 cm
J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, USA

Pieta, 1876 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Pieta 1876

Oil Painting
$4605
Canvas Print
$50.90
SKU: BWA-206
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 230 x 148 cm
Private Collection

Vierge consolatrice (Virgin of Consolation), 1877 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Vierge consolatrice (Virgin of Consolation) 1877

Oil Painting
$2682
Canvas Print
$50.90
SKU: BWA-207
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 204 x 148 cm
Art Museums, Strasbourg, France

A Soul Brought to Heaven, 1878 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

A Soul Brought to Heaven 1878

Oil Painting
$1852
SKU: BWA-208
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: unknown
Musee du Perigord, Perigueux, France

Orestes Pursued by the Furies, 1862 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Orestes Pursued by the Furies 1862

Oil Painting
$2707
Canvas Print
$50.90
SKU: BWA-209
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 231 x 279 cm
Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, USA

Art and Literature, 1867 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Art and Literature 1867

Oil Painting
$2139
Canvas Print
$50.90
SKU: BWA-210
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 200 x 108 cm
Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, USA

Homer and His Guide, 1874 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Homer and His Guide 1874

Oil Painting
$2547
Canvas Print
$64.71
SKU: BWA-211
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 209 x 143 cm
Milwaukee Art Museum, Wisconsin, USA

Young Priestess, 1902 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Young Priestess 1902

Oil Painting
$2089
Canvas Print
$50.90
SKU: BWA-212
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 181 x 81 cm
Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Rochester, New York, USA

Seated Nude, 1884 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Seated Nude 1884

Oil Painting
$1825
Canvas Print
$59.19
SKU: BWA-213
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 116.5 x 89 cm
The Clark Art Institute, Massachusetts, USA

The Bathers, 1884 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Bathers 1884

Oil Painting
$2139
Canvas Print
$50.90
SKU: BWA-214
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 201 x 129 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, USA

The Nymphaeum, 1878 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Nymphaeum 1878

Oil Painting
$3537
Canvas Print
$53.72
SKU: BWA-215
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 144.8 x 209.5 cm
The Haggin Museum, California, USA

The Birth of Venus, 1879 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

The Birth of Venus 1879

Oil Painting
$3871
Canvas Print
$90.88
SKU: BWA-216
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 300 x 215 cm
Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France

Nymphs and Satyr, 1873 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Nymphs and Satyr 1873

Oil Painting
$2754
Canvas Print
$53.30
SKU: BWA-217
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 260 x 180 cm
The Clark Art Institute, Massachusetts, USA

Admiration, 1897 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Admiration 1897

Oil Painting
$3085
Canvas Print
$71.40
SKU: BWA-218
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 147 x 200 cm
San Antonio Museum of Art, Texas, USA

Girl, 1895 by Bouguereau | Painting Reproduction

Girl 1895

Oil Painting
$2073
Canvas Print
$50.90
SKU: BWA-219
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Original Size: 115.8 x 68.6 cm
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, USA

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