As can be seen by the artwork on this blog, I’m a huge HUGE fan of William Adolphe Bouguereau. He was simply a genius — a genius — of the human form, of mood, of nuance, who worked as an academic painter in the mid to late 19th century, essentially swimming against the rising tide of Impressionism roiling all around him. The Academics loved him; the avant-garde mocked him. He was libeled, slandered. His name was removed from textbooks and encyclopedias for decades. He was quite simply, as the old saying, goes, born at the wrong time. He was a genius of a soon-to-be-bygone era and he suffered for that.
But he also, nearly single-handedly, opened the French art academies to women. HE did that. He painted 825 paintings in his life, a mind-boggling accomplishment, especially when you consider that most of them were life-sized.
And he loved his work with a unfading passion, saying even late in life, “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.”
I can scarcely wait for the next morning to come …… how does that not clutch at your heart? Such joy, such childlike abandon.
But decide for yourself. I’ve included just two of his pieces below. His work runs the gamut from moments small to huge, subtle to searing.
The header image on this blog is cropped from a painting called “Petite Maraudeuse” (Little Thief). This is one of his small captured moments that I love so much, a pretty little thief caught, I imagine anyway, moments after her oh-so-naughty theft. She’s concealing her stolen pear a bit with that sly bend of her wrist, but frankly, I don’t think she feels all that bad about it. Hahaha.
Good Lord, I love her so much:
Then he breaks us in two with this, “The First Mourning.” Adam and Eve and the body of their son Abel, murdered by their other son Cain. I love this piece, but with an asterisk, a warning, some caution cones. It is SO direct, so unflinching, so private, really, that it’s a nearly pornographic depiction of grief. Nothing is spared. Nothing is left concealed, which is amazing because you don’t see faces or, rather, you don’t fully see faces. You see shapes, lines, color. And the poses, their relationship to one another, the frankness of Abel’s splayed body, the difference in his skin color compared to theirs. You almost cannot look — or you can look for only seconds at a time. That’s how it feels for me anyway. Like I’m an intruder, a voyeur, on a personal apocalypse. You are seeing the very moment their lives changed forever. Doesn’t it feel as if it’s happening as you look at it? For me, this isn’t some mere depiction or imagination. It’s almost as if Bouguereau had a vision from God of what that moment was actually like. Bouguereau just has that gift of immediacy. He puts you there. Whether a big moment or small, you’re there. You’re there. I don’t know how he did it. I just don’t. It’s his particular genius, his God-breathed gift, and I want it to be a mystery to me. Too much knowing can rob you of awe and there’s just not enough awe anymore.
Try to look at it. Try to take it in. It’s worth it, but I tell you, when I look at it, I literally feel helpless.
Subtle and searing genius, both. I don’t know how that’s even possible.
I am, and always will be, a massive fan.
Once upon a time I found your blog because of your use of Bouguereau in the site design. True story! He is my favorite artist as well–he had me in a heartbeat with “The Story Book” (http://www.bouguereau.org/Story-Book.jpg)
Eldest Daughter has a treasured print of “The Virgin with Angels”(http://www.wmofa.com/gallery/Bouguereau,_William/La_Vierge_aux_Anges_-_The_Virgin_with_Angels_1881.jpg) hanging in her apartment; she was a fan before I.
RT — Wow! Really? I didn’t know that. Have you ever checked out the Art Renewal Center online? It’s a fantastic online gallery of, oh, probably hundreds of artists and one of the things I love is that the “curators” of this particular museum are true Bouguereau apologists. Staunch defenders of his too-long-forgotten genius. Go check it out. You won’t be sorry. Although, you will lose hours over there. I pretty much guarantee that. It’s my favorite “gallery” online.
I’d swear his Portrait of Gabrielle Cot was a photograph. Such detail and texture.
Is that where the header portrait is from!? Cool!
I can hear my high school art teacher talking about oblique lines. . . that’s what screams at me in “The First Mourning.” It’s action, but it’s passionate, emotional action. Moving, in all senses of the word.
Tracey – Thank you for the background information on this artist. I am always fascinated by those who seem “out of their own time” – and it’s ironic, but often those who are not in sync with the trends of the day – end up seeming more timeless. The girl in your header, for example: her eyes LIVE, in my opinion. That is not just skill – although it definitely takes unbelievable skill to render LIFE in a person’s eyes … it’s something more than that. An obsession. A gift. He painted what he wanted to paint, trends be damned. There’s something sad about that – you wish that these geniuses were validated in their own time (I can think of many writers under this category as well – Herman Melville comes immediately to mind) … but they have become immortal. They have something better than transitory fame in the present-day.
The image of his twitchy impatience to get back to the canvas is very very moving to me.
Brian — He does have that ability. When I first came across my “Little Thief” — I love the name — I thought she was a photograph. I don’t know how he does it. Now, finally, he’s getting some much-deserved recognition. One of his paintings is in the San Diego Museum of Art here in Balboa Park. I could have stood in front of it forever. I wanted to jump inside of it and look around. I understand the whole “do not touch the paintings” thing, but sometimes, you feel your hand just ITCHING to touch them. I always want to, anyway.
Kate P — I know. I find Eve, in particular, unbearable. And yes! The header is Petite Maraudeuse! Isn’t she something? All the “girls” are Bougeureau girls. He loved females and the female form, in particular. 😉
sheila — I love that too. It takes courage and a sure sense of SELF to keep that tunnel vision that is your OWN vision.
That quote about his work made me think of you. It did. I said to myself, “This reminds me of my dear Sheila.”
You’ve made me a fan. I spent a bit of time looking through his work and just can’t believe the realism in his painting.
Tracey – Ugh, I missed that last oh-so-nice nice comment about me – thank you, hon!!!
sheila — Hey, no worries! You’re welcome!