DSC03133
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
French, 1825-1905
THE SONG OF THE NIGHTINGALE, 1895
Oil on canvas
Gift of Mr. Robert Badenhop, 1954
"Bouguereau is one of the few prominent academic artists of late nineteenth-century France whose reputation has endured following the rise of Impressionism. His characteristically smooth finish, carefully drawn and composed figures, and convincing illusionism made him one of the most successful academic painters of his generation. From 1849 until his death in 1905, he exhibited regularly at the annual Salon. In 1850, he won the coveted "Prix de Rome", a prize awarded yearly to promising artists that enabled them to study in Italy. In 1876, he was elected a member of both the "Legion d'Honneur" and the "Institut de France", confirming his high standing among the conservative artistic establishment.
This work of 1895 is typical of both Bouguereau's style and subjects. Skillfully painted, it shows a beautiful peasant girl, barefoot, her sleeves rolled up, seated on a stone bench. On a tree branch behind her shoulder a nightingale sings, and she turns her head to hear it. What her thoughts may be are hard to determine, and this ambiguity was one of the reasons for Bouguereau's success. Viewers are left to create their own stories about what is taking place in the painting. His realistic rendition of every element of the scene vouches for what he described as his commitment to "the sincere study of nature, the search for the true and the beautiful.""
DSC03133
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
French, 1825-1905
THE SONG OF THE NIGHTINGALE, 1895
Oil on canvas
Gift of Mr. Robert Badenhop, 1954
"Bouguereau is one of the few prominent academic artists of late nineteenth-century France whose reputation has endured following the rise of Impressionism. His characteristically smooth finish, carefully drawn and composed figures, and convincing illusionism made him one of the most successful academic painters of his generation. From 1849 until his death in 1905, he exhibited regularly at the annual Salon. In 1850, he won the coveted "Prix de Rome", a prize awarded yearly to promising artists that enabled them to study in Italy. In 1876, he was elected a member of both the "Legion d'Honneur" and the "Institut de France", confirming his high standing among the conservative artistic establishment.
This work of 1895 is typical of both Bouguereau's style and subjects. Skillfully painted, it shows a beautiful peasant girl, barefoot, her sleeves rolled up, seated on a stone bench. On a tree branch behind her shoulder a nightingale sings, and she turns her head to hear it. What her thoughts may be are hard to determine, and this ambiguity was one of the reasons for Bouguereau's success. Viewers are left to create their own stories about what is taking place in the painting. His realistic rendition of every element of the scene vouches for what he described as his commitment to "the sincere study of nature, the search for the true and the beautiful.""