William-Adolphe Bouguereau

(French, 1825–1905)

William Adolphe Bouguereau was a French painter, best known for his realist depictions of the human figure set within Neoclassical and rustic settings. Born in La Rochelle, France on November 30, 1825, Bouguereau went on to study at the École des Beaux-Arts, striving to make his mark in the tradition of Renaissance painters like Titian, he was awarded the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1850. Bouguereau’s life-sized oil paintings of mythological narratives were highly detailed. With polished brushstrokes and nuanced tonal shifts, both his technique and subject matter were antithetical to his contemporaries, the French Impressionists, whom he played an active part in banning from the Salon each year. Relating to his painting practice, Bouguereau said: ”Each day I go to my studio full of joy; in the evening when obliged to stop because of darkness I can scarcely wait for the next morning to come...if I cannot give myself to my dear painting I am miserable.” Bouguereau died on August 19, 1905 in La Rochelle, France. His works are in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the Louvre Museum in Paris, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, among others.

Related Categories

Contemporary Realism, Impressionist and Modern Art

Related Artists

Giovanni Bellini, Charles-Antoine Coypel, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Andrea del Sarto, Titian

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (855 results)
Jeune mère contemplant deux enfants qui..., 1861

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Jeune mère contemplant deux enfants qui..., 1861

M.S. Rau

1,650,000 USD

La fille du pêcheur (The Fisherman’s Daughter), 1882

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

La fille du pêcheur (The Fisherman’s Daughter), 1882

M.S. Rau

1,985,000 USD

Petite Mendiante (Little Beggar), ca. 1880

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Petite Mendiante (Little Beggar), ca. 1880

M.S. Rau

Price on Request

Au Bord du Ruisseau, 1888

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Au Bord du Ruisseau, 1888

M.S. Rau

Price on Request

The Shepherdess, ca. 1895

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

The Shepherdess, ca. 1895

M.S. Rau

Price on Request

La tricoteuse (The Knitting Girl), 1884

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

La tricoteuse (The Knitting Girl), 1884

M.S. Rau

Sold

The Earrings, 1891

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

The Earrings, 1891

M.S. Rau

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The Frugal Meal, 1898

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

The Frugal Meal, 1898

M.S. Rau

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Secrets de l’Amour (Cupid’s Secrets), 1896

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Secrets de l’Amour (Cupid’s Secrets), 1896

M.S. Rau

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Réflexion (Reflection), 1898

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Réflexion (Reflection), 1898

M.S. Rau

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Le Goûter Aux Champs, 1891

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Le Goûter Aux Champs, 1891

M.S. Rau

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Les Enfants à L'Agneau (The Children with..., 1879

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Les Enfants à L'Agneau (The Children with..., 1879

M.S. Rau

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L'Aube or L'Aurore

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

L'Aube or L'Aurore

Sale Date: June 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Le crépuscule (Twilight), 1882

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Le crépuscule (Twilight), 1882

Sale Date: June 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Cupid and Psyche

Attributed to William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Cupid and Psyche

Sale Date: June 12, 2024

Auction Closed

PORTRAIT DE JEUNE FEMME DE PROFIL

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

PORTRAIT DE JEUNE FEMME DE PROFIL

Sale Date: June 12, 2024

Auction Closed

Bacchante, 1894

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Bacchante, 1894

Sale Date: May 22, 2024

Auction Closed

Bohémienne au Tambour de basque

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Bohémienne au Tambour de basque

Sale Date: May 22, 2024

Auction Closed

Le Livre De Prix, 1901

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Le Livre De Prix, 1901

Sale Date: May 22, 2024

Auction Closed

Dryade, 1904

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Dryade, 1904

Sale Date: May 10, 2024

Auction Closed

Philomèle et Progné (réduction)

Studio of William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Philomèle et Progné (réduction)

Sale Date: February 21, 2024

Auction Closed

L'oiseau Cheri

After William-Adolphe Bouguereau

L'oiseau Cheri

Sale Date: February 1, 2024

Auction Closed

Etude préparatoire pour Pietà, 1875–1876

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Etude préparatoire pour Pietà, 1875–1876

Sale Date: January 31, 2024

Auction Closed

Justice, Religious Scene (La justice, scène...

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Justice, Religious Scene (La justice, scène...

Sale Date: February 2, 2024

Auction Closed

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