{"product_id":"au-bord-du-ruisseau-by-william-adolphe-bouguereau","title":"Au Bord du Ruisseau by William-Adolphe Bouguereau","description":"William-Adolphe Bouguereau\u003cbr\u003e 1825-1905 | French \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eAu bord du ruisseau\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Signed and dated “W-Bouguereau-1888” (upper left)\u003cbr\u003e Oil on Canvas \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Bouguereau’s paintings of children allowed for the expression of values that formed, for the painter, the very heart of his philosophy of life.“ - Gilles Chazal, ‘The Art of Bouguereau,’ 1984-1985 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This enchanting work, painted by the majorly successful William-Adoplhe Bouguereau, depicts his favored subject from the second half of his career: young women at ease in nature. This work, entitled \u003cem\u003eAu bord du ruisseau\u003c\/em\u003e, masterfully captures the subtle curiosity in the child's expressive eyes. It is this charming subject that charted his rise to one of the most celebrated and important painters in French Academy history. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In the painting, a young girl rests on the sandy banks of a river. Just having removed her bright red stockings, which lay carelessly crumpled in a pile to her left, she meets the eyes of the viewer. Her slightly flushed cheeks contrast the softness of her pale skin, emphasizing the beauty that comes with youth. In addition to his skill at rendering the human figure, Bouguereau also demonstrates his expertise in depicting botanical figures. The rocky outcrop contrasts the sharpness of the bulrush (\u003cem\u003etypha latifolia\u003c\/em\u003e) sprouting out from the sand. Although the impossibly smooth brushwork erases Bouguereau’s hand, his technical mastery of the scene is undeniable in the varying textures of her soft skin, the coarse linen of her dress and the crisp foliage behind her. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Internationally famous for his skill as a draftsman and painter of religious imagery, Bouguereau transitioned into painting genre subjects by the mid-1870s. Always keenly aware of what was trending with the art-buying public, Bourguerau became inspired by a broad cultural shift and the many summers spent in his childhood village, La Rochelle. In 1882, Bouguereau purchased a summer retreat in La Rochelle, allowing him to paint local models \u003cem\u003een plein air\u003c\/em\u003e before finishing his canvases in Paris. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Unlike other artists in the 19th century who documented the arduous lives of peasants toiling in the French countryside, such as Jean-Francois Millet, Bouguereau romanticized them. The wonderment of a childhood spent in nature, running wild and free, is celebrated across Bouguereau's oeuvre, making him an exceptional commercial success in his day. Collectors on both sides of the Atlantic had to wait two to three years to purchase one of his prized paintings. In the 19th century, no American collection would have been complete without a portrait by the French Academic master. Today, his works reside in prestigious museum collections such as the Musée d'Orsay, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dated 1888 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Canvas: 31 7\/8“ high x 40 3\/8” wide (81.28 x 103.51 cm) Frame: 47 3\/8\" high x 56\" wide x 5\" deep (120.33 x 142.24 x 12.7 cm) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/rau-sfimages.s3.amazonaws.com\/dossier\/Dossier_31-8591.pdf\" target=\"new\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eView the Dossier\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance: \u003cbr\u003e The artist\u003cbr\u003e Joseph Barrigan, Providence, acquired directly from the above, 30 May 1888\u003cbr\u003e Dr. and Mrs. John Garry, Ipswich, MA\u003cbr\u003e Their sale; Sotheby’s, New York, 26 October 1983, lot 98\u003cbr\u003e Borghi \u0026amp; Co., New York\u003cbr\u003e Private Collection, acquired from the above circa 1985\u003cbr\u003e European Art Part I sale; Christie’s, New York, 31 October 2018\u003cbr\u003e Private Collection\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Exhibitions:\u003cbr\u003e Paris, Cercle Artistique et Littérature, March 1888\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Literature:\u003cbr\u003e C. Comte de Franqueville, Le Premier Siècle de l’Institut de France: 25 Octobre 1795-25, Octobre 1895, Paris, 1895, p. 370\u003cbr\u003e M. Vachon, \u003cem\u003eW. Bouguereau\u003c\/em\u003e, Paris, 1900, p. 156\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Walker, ‘A Summary Catalogue of the Paintings, in \u003cem\u003eWilliam Bouguereau: l’Art Pompier\u003c\/em\u003e, exh. cat., Borghi \u0026amp; Co., New York, 1991, p. 73\u003cbr\u003e D. Bartoli and F. Ross, \u003cem\u003eWilliam Bouguereau: His Life and Works\u003c\/em\u003e, New York, 2010, p. 450, pl. 296, ill.\u003cbr\u003e D. Bartoli and F. Ross, \u003cem\u003eWilliam Bouguereau: Catalogue Raisonné of his Painted Work\u003c\/em\u003e, New York, 2010, p. 246-247, no. 1888\/05, ill. ","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51803561886018,"sku":null,"price":2250000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0982\/5376\/6978\/files\/31-8591_1_85f0bf80-4ed3-493f-b949-d40bc88ff925.png?v=1768102635","url":"https:\/\/www.bullvendors19.com\/products\/au-bord-du-ruisseau-by-william-adolphe-bouguereau","provider":"Bull Vendors 19","version":"1.0","type":"link"}