French academic painter (1825-1905)
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He painted the female form with such polished, mythological perfection that the Impressionists despised him — and the salons made him rich. By 1920 his name was a punchline; by 1985 collectors were hunting down all 822 canvases.
William-Adolphe Bouguereau was born in France on 30 November 1825 and trained as an academic painter, building a career on realistic genre works that recast classical mythology through the lens of the female body. The approach won him significant popularity in France and the United States, official honors, and top prices — he became the quintessential salon painter of his generation. The Impressionist avant-garde reviled him for it. By the early twentieth century, as tastes shifted, Bouguereau and his work fell out of favor with the public. A revival of interest in figure painting during the 1…
Sourced, dated quotes from William-Adolphe Bouguereau
One has to seek Beauty and Truth, Sir! As I always say to my pupils, you have to work to the finish. There's only one kind of painting.
For me a work of art must be an elevated interpretation of nature. The search for the ideal has been the purpose of my life.
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