Rago Auctions

William Bouguereau was a renowned French academic painter known for his realistic genre paintings, often featuring scenes of antiquity or pastoral themes with a focus on the female form. Despite enjoying popularity in France and the United States during his lifetime, he fell out of favor given changing tastes by the early 20th century. However, in the 1980s, a figure painting revival led to a rediscovery of Bouguereau's oeuvre.

Born on France's Atlantic coast in La Rochelle in 1825 into a family of merchants, Bouguereau showed early artistic talent. He studied painting in Paris, winning the Prix de Rome in 1850, which allowed him to venture to Rome and explore classical art in depth. Subsequently, his career flourished, with numerous commissions and exhibitions, both in France and abroad. Bouguereau was known for his graceful portraits of women, often with mythological or religious themes. Despite his success, Bouguereau faced criticism from avant-garde artists like the Impressionists. Some considered him too traditional and commercially oriented. However, he remained highly esteemed among enough prominent art collectors and patrons, especially in America.

Throughout his life, Bouguereau was a prolific painter, creating over 800 known compositions. He maintained a strong work ethic until passing away in 1905 in La Rochelle. While his reputation declined after his death, there has been a resurgence of interest in his work in recent years, with major retrospectives and rising prices at auction. Today, paintings by Bouguereau are included in the collections of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, the British Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the Art Institute of Chicago.