The Little Shepherdess, 1889, William-Adolphe Bouguereau    

      

William-Adolphe Bouguereau was a French academic painter. In his realistic genre paintings he used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of classical subjects, with an emphasis on the female human body. 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 [William-Adolphe Bouguereau, The Complete Works at http://www.bouguereau.org/]

On the painting: "Staring with a clear determination at the artist, The Shepherdess by William-Adolphe Bouguereau evocatively captures a contemporary pastoral scene. It is one in a series of similarly titled portraits and scenes by the renowned artist." [www.WilliamBouguereau.org]

Artist's Statement: For me a work of art must be an elevated interpretation of nature. The search for the ideal has been the purpose of my life. In landscape or seascape, I love above all the poetic motif.

Painting specs:
Year: 1889
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 62-3⁄4 x 37”

Credit: Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Gift of Laura A. Clubb, 1947.8.82