Self-portrait (1879) by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Self-portrait - William-Adolphe Bouguereau - 1879

Artwork Information

TitleSelf-portrait
ArtistWilliam-Adolphe Bouguereau
Date1879
MediumOil on Canvas
Dimensions38.5 x 46.5 cm
Art MovementAcademicism
Current LocationMontreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), Montreal, Canada
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About Self-portrait

Adolphe-William Bouguereau was a famous French painter who specialized in realistic genre paintings, primarily featuring the female human body and mythological themes. He was a prolific painter, completing at least 20 paintings every year. He worked tirelessly, rising at dawn to paint six days a week until nightfall.

Bouguereau’s life-sized oil paintings were highly detailed and precise, particularly his mythological narratives. He was also known for creating eight self-portraits at different times in his life. One of his most popular self-portraits was painted in 1879 and is currently displayed at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. This particular self-portrait was created as a pendant to a portrait of his fiancee, Elizabeth Jane Gardner.

The self-portrait from 1879 shows Bouguereau dressed in a suit, holding a brush in one hand and a palette in the other. In the painting, his face is calm and serious as he gazes directly at the viewer. Bouguereau was known for his strong technical skills, and this self-portrait is no exception. The textures of his clothing and the paint on his palette are rendered in stunning detail. His brushwork is expressive, giving the portrait a sense of liveliness.

Overall, Bouguereau’s self-portrait from 1879 is a testament to his incredible technical abilities and his commitment to his craft. It is a beautiful work of art that captures the essence of the artist at work.

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