William Adolph Bouguereau

Although William Adolph Bouguereau might not be a household name today, he was a very well known and highly credited artist of his time. Bouguereau was born in La Rochelle, on the west coast of France on November 30, 1825. His family were wine merchants. His Uncle Eugene to taught him in Latin, Greek, classic mythology, and the Bible. He also took drawing lessons, in which he immediately showed talent.

By the time Bouguereau turned 21 he had raised enough money to go to Paris and study at the studio of Francois-Edouard Picot. In 1850 he won first place at the Prix de Rome. His prize was four years of tuition at the Villa Medici, in Italy. There, he was taught the techniques of classical and renaissance art. He also travelled extensively, which influenced many of his later works.

After his schooling in Italy, he returned to Paris. His work was often on exhibit at the Salon.. He won many awards, especially for his portraits. Unlike many artists, he was very popular with both the public and the critics.

Bouguereau had a high social status. He was made a knight in 1859 and was awarded many other prizes such as the Legion d’Honeur in 1876 and the Grand Medal of Honor. He became a grand officer of the Legion in 1903. He was also a member of Fine Art academies in Spain and Belgium.

Bouguereau married Marie-Nelly Monchablon, also known as Nelly, in 1856. Together they had five children, and lived in Montparnasse, Paris. Within a five-year span three of his children, and Nelly, his wife all died. His grief was reflected in several of his paintings.

In 1896 Bouguereau married an American artist and they stayed together happily for the rest of their lives. He had built a studio in La Rochelle, his birthplace, and painted there every summer. He died in 1905.