Seeing a William Bouguereau painting in person is an experience one will not likely soon forget. I saw two of his large scale paintings at the Musée d’Orsay during my 2011 Paris trip ( Dante And Virgil / Les Oréades ) and was completely mesmerized by the sheer fidelity and heightened realism of his work, and have been a big fan every since.

While this is not the most comprehensive Bouguereau art book I’ve ever seen, the reproductions of the art plates are of great quality and are better than the big monograph I reviewed back in 2014, which is sadly now out of print.

Book synopsis – An in-depth exploration into the immense popularity of William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s work in America throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Seeking to bring Gallic sophistication and worldly elegance into their galleries and drawing rooms, wealthy Americans of the late 19th and early 20th centuries collected the work of William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905) in record numbers. This fascinating volume offers an in-depth exploration of Bouguereau’s overwhelming popularity in turn-of-the-century America and the ways that his work—widely known from reviews, exhibitions, and inexpensive reproductions—resonated with the American public. While also lauded by the French artistic establishment and a dominant presence at the Parisian Salons, Bouguereau achieved his greatest success selling his idealized and polished paintings to a voracious American market. In this book, the authors discuss how the artist’s sensual classical maidens, Raphaelesque Madonnas, and pristine peasant children embodied the tastes of American Gilded Age patrons, and how Bouguereau’s canvases persuasively functioned as freshly painted Old Masters for collectors flush with new money.

Published in association with the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.

As a book for scholarly studies on Bouguereau’s immense popularity in America I am sure much can be gleaned from reading the prose in this volume, although personally I picked up this up purely because of the quality of the art plates, which imho are excellent. Recommended.

“Bouguereau & America” art book details :

– Dimensions – 12.2 x 10.2 x 0.9 inches
– Hardcover, 192 pages
– Full color

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