The artwork titled “Maternal Admiration – The Bath,” created by William-Adolphe Bouguereau in 1869, is a fine example of Academicism. Executed using oil on canvas, the genre painting measures 129.9 by 99.7 centimeters.
In the artwork, a serene domestic scene is portrayed, wherein a mother is depicted tenderly bathing her infant. The mother, dressed in traditional attire, cradles the child on her lap while another young girl, perhaps an older sibling, looks on with a gentle expression. The mother’s attire, a vibrant red dress coupled with a white headdress, adds a sense of warmth to the scene. The background is modest and dimly lit, focusing the viewer’s attention on the intimate interaction among the family members. The overall composition exudes a sense of calmness, nurturing, and familial affection, characteristic of Bouguereau’s masterful rendering of human figures and emotional depth.
