[mairdie]

My earliest love of art came from a book of Academy painters, including Bouguereau, owned by my mother and grandmother before her.

Master Paintings of the World, Dupont Vicars, 1902

Vicars says of Bouguereau:

"The greatest modern master of figure painting, at least in the academic sense, William Adolphe Bouguereau, was born at La Rochelle, in the Gironde, in 1825. When he was seventeen years old, he had saved enough out of his earnings to carry him to Paris and support him there for a year. On this capital he became a pupil of Picot, and in 1843 entered as a student into the Ecole des Beaux Arts, until in 1850 he won the great prize scholarship known as the Prix de Rome, which entitled him to study four years in Italy at the expense of the Government. He became an Officer of the Legion of Honor. He was elected a member of the Institute. He was made honorary member of all the great art academies of Europe. He was loaded with medals, until they formed a unique collection in themselves."

1869, The Crab

1875, Art Institute of Chicago, Girl with a pomegranate

[mairdie]

PING to early William-Adolphe Bouguereau

[Crolis]

I’m by no means that skilled or knowledgeable about art, but I really like Bouguereau. His paintings seem to channel that Renaissance quality of celebrating his subjects as they are. It’s not abstract, amorphous and seemingly meaningless like a lot of modern art.

To me, it depicts the real, and the mundane, and seems to express gratitude for the things that we often take for granted whether it be a moment of play with a crab, or a simple pomegranate, in these examples.

[leaning conservative]

Both of these are so beautiful. The crab is just beautiful. So lifelike.....her fingernails are completely lifelike. It is also very soothing & calming. A quiet & beautiful meditation.
Thank you.

[poconopundit]

PING! Splendid pics and the links. Thanks.

[IronJack]

Reminiscent of John Everett Millais.

[KarlInOhio]

Here's the one I've seen most often.

c.1895, The Song of the Nightingale, Dayton Art Institute

Photography probably killed the desire for representational art. Anyone could get a photographic portrait, so they didn't need to pay for a painted portrait. Bouguereau and Sargent were probably the last of the great realist artists.

[Auntie Mame]

An artist friend has often waxed eloquent on Bouguereau’s skill with skin tones.

[dsc]

I’ve always thought that the final scene in Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ was inspired by B’s Pieta.

[mairdie]

I know this seems a little crazy, but I’ve been wondering if the Impressionists are the Democrats and the Academy painters are the Republicans. Because much as I love the Impressionists, the Academy pieces really have me caught.

[YogicCowboy]

Although I like select Impressionist works, I far prefer this style. This artist is one of the best.

Thanks.

[GnuThere]

The pic of the little girl with the book at 2:35 is really a nice one.