Adolphe Bouguereau

Adolphe Bouguereau - Holy Family

One of my favorite artists is the French Adolphe Bouguereau who painted a variety of paintings that include the Blessed Mother with Jesus and John the Baptist as infants. He has a lot of paintings with angels and naked cherubs in different postures. These three included in my post today show the Blessed Mother with Jesus and John, a domestic scene painted by many other artists.

Adolphe Bouguereau - Charity

Bouguereau, also known as William-Adolphe was born in La Rochelle, France in 1825 and died in the same place in 1905. He used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of classical subjects, with an emphasis on the human body. During his life he enjoyed significant popularity in France and the United States, was given numerous official honors, and received top prices for his work. By the early twentieth century, Bouguereau and his art fell out of favor with the public, due in part to changing tastes. In the 1980s, a revival of interest in figure painting led to a rediscovery of Bouguereau and his work. Throughout the course of his life, Bouguereau executed 822 known finished paintings, although the whereabouts of many are still unknown.

Mary, Jesus and John