Themost famous artistof all time is a difficult question for anyone to pinpoint. Today, many people might sayVincent van Gogh,Claude Monet, orFrida Kahlo．However, just a couple of decades ago, people might have given different answers. In a similar fashion, the nameWilliam-Adolphe Bouguereaumay not be familiar to many these days, but in the later 19th century, he was one of the most beloved painters around.
Born and trained in France, Bouguereau was an upholder of the French academic style. His talent for creating beautiful, idealized worlds made him a popular artist among wealthy patrons, and his dedication to traditional approaches kept him a favorite in the prestigious Salon for his entire life. He also worked parallel to the Impressionists, who sought to subvert the values he displayed in his polished pictures. But while Bouguereau's fame faded after his death, the Impressionists rose up—showing how quickly artistic tastes can change.
Here, we will learn more about Bouguereau's art and why the Impressionists fought against it.
Who is William-Adolphe Bouguereau?
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, “Self-Portrait,” 1879 (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
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Full Name
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William-Adolphe Bouguereau
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Born
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November 30, 1825 ( La Rochelle, France)
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Died
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August 19, 1905 (La Rochelle, France)
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Notable Artwork
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The Birth of Venus (1879)
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Movement
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French Academic Style
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William-Adolphe Bouguereau(1825–1905) was a 19th-century French painter who worked in theacademic style．After training at the École des Beaux-Arts, he spent several years in Rome studying the paintings of Renaissance masters and eventually winning the Prix de Rome prize for one of his works. It was in Italy that he nurtured a love of classical subjects. Upon returning to France, he continued working in the traditional academic style, exhibiting paintings regularly at theParis Salon．His carefully rendered figures and bucolic worlds made him a favorite among the elites, but it was these same “superficial” traits that turned the Impressionist artists against his style. Due to his fame and success, Bouguereau became symbolic of the values of the Salon.
Academic Style and the Paris Salon
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, “The Nut Gatherers,” 1882 (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
Theacademic styledescribed the artistic values upheld by art academies in Europe. In France, these ideas were taught at the École des Beaux-Arts where Bouguereau himself studied. They reinforced traditional approaches, includingidealism of the human formand depictions ofconservative, conventional subject matter, like historical, mythological, and allegorical scenes as well as portraiture.
TheParis Salon‘s traditional taste was overwhelmingly accepted until the 19th century when an increasing number of European artists began embracing theavant-garde．While the Academy would reject most modernist pieces, some famously managed to secure a spot, includingÉdouard Manet‘s nudeOlympiain 1863 andJohn Singer Sargent‘sPortrait of Madame X,a contemporary portrait exhibited in 1884.
For the most part, however, pieces that did not adhere to the academy's traditional tastes were rejected, forcing forward-thinking artists to take the exhibition of their work into their own hands. This led to the decline of the Paris Salon in the 1880s, and, most importantly, culminated in a new tradition:Salon alternatives．This would ultimately result in the formation of the firstImpressionistexhibitions.
Characteristics of Bouguereau's Art
Naked Female Form
Left: William-Adolphe Bouguereau, “Evening,” 1882 (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
Right: William-Adolphe Bouguereau, “Dawn,” 1881 (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
A master at rendering thehuman body, one of the most distinguishing characteristics of Bouguereau's art is a strong interest in the naked female form. He was greatly inspired by the Renaissance masterRaphaeland took a similar approach in his own work. Hisfemale figures, whether portraits or symbolic representations of the time of day possess graceful and ethereal qualities.
希腊和兴趣Roman Mythology
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, “The Birth of Venus,” 1879 (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
Bouguereau's subject matter kept with the traditions prized by the salon. One of the most reoccurring themes in his work referencedGreek and Roman mythology．Depicting nymphs, goddesses, and other classical figures allowed Bouguereau's polished style to shine. In these paintings, he created an idealized world of beautiful men and women and cheerful cherubs.
Pastoral Scenes
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, “The Young Shepherdess,” 1885 (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
Another subject that interested Bouguereau waspastoral scenes．However, he was not interested in portraying the reality of country life likeRealistpaintersJean-François MilletandGustave Courbet．得胜相反,爱神靠近浪漫的idea of these professions, portraying beautiful shepherdesses and children collecting flowers and food.
Bouguerueau Versus the Impressionists
Left: William-Adolphe Bouguereau, “The Nymphs and Satyr,” 1873 (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
Right: Edgar Degas, “Musicians in the Orchestra,” 1872 (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
As an upholder of the academic style—which prized realism and traditional approaches to painting—Bouguereau enjoyedgreat success during his own lifetime．However, he also lived parallel to the risingImpressionist movementwhich fought the strict limitations of the prestigious Salon. ManyImpressionist paintersdisparaged Bouguereau's work as symbolic of all that was wrong with the institution, marking it asarchaic and superficial．Bouguereautéwas a derogatory term invented byEdgar Degasand his followers to describe art with a licked finish, which was popular among French academic artists.
Legacy
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, “A Dream of Spring,” 1901 (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
Despite the success Bouguereau achieved during his lifetime, his name faded away from art circles in the early 1900s as Impressionism andModern artbecame more popular. People once again criticized the waxen, polished way his figures were rendered.
By the 70s, however, appreciation for his ethereal, traditional style resurfaced and his art began to appear in exhibitions across the U.S. and Canada. Today, he is considered one of the most important painters of the French academic style, even if he isn't a household name anymore.
常见问题
What is William-Adolphe Bouguereau known for?
William-Adolphe Bouguereau is known for his academic-style paintings, which feature a strong interest in the naked female form, depictions of mythological subjects, and polished finish.
Where is William-Adolphe Bouguereau from?
William-Adolphe Bouguereau is from La Rochelle, France.
What style of art is Bouguereau?
William-Adolphe Bouguereau painted in the French academic style.
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