William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Academic painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) was considered one of the greatest painters in the world during his lifetime, commanding high prices across Europe and America. Born in La Rochelle to a wine and olive oil merchant family, he won the Prix de Rome in 1850 and spent three years at the Villa Medici studying Renaissance masters firsthand. His realistic paintings made modern interpretations of classical and mythological subjects, with emphasis on the idealized female form.

Bouguereau was extraordinarily prolific, producing at least 822 known paintings while rising at dawn to work six days weekly until nightfall. He became a Life Member of the Academy in 1876, received the Grand Medal of Honor in 1885, and was made Grand Officier of the Legion of Honour in 1905. From 1872, he taught at the prestigious Académie Julian, becoming known for advocating female artist training. His students included Henri Matisse, who later rebelled against his style. Bouguereau fell from favor as tastes shifted toward modernism, but a revival began in the 1980s. Works hang at the Musée d'Orsay and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.