Click image to view full screen
Rest
✓ Authenticity guarantee · ✓ Specialist condition report · ✓ Insured worldwide shipping · ✓ Private-room viewing
One of the most celebrated academic painters of his time, Bouguereau underscores the moral virtues of the Italian peasants in this painting by depicting the dome of St. Peter's in the distance. The idealized figures and their triangular grouping recall the Holy Family paintings by Renaissance master Raphael 400 years earlier. The painting was purchased directly from the artist by Cleveland banker and philanthropist Hinman B. Hurlbut in July 1879.
| Artist / Maker | William Adolphe Bouguereau |
|---|---|
| Date | 1879 |
| Culture / Origin | France, 19th century |
| Medium | oil on fabric |
| Dimensions | Framed: 204 x 156 x 15 cm (80 5/16 x 61 7/16 x 5 7/8 in.); Unframed: 164.5 x 117.8 cm (64 3/4 x 46 3/8 in.) |
| Department | Modern European Painting and Sculpture |
| Type | Painting |
About the Artist
William Adolphe Bouguereau started drawing at an early age but did not take lessons until 1834, his first year in college in Pons, where his instructor was Louis Sage, who had been a pupil of Ingres (q.v.). In 1841 Bouguereau's father, a wine merchant, moved the family to Bordeaux. The following year he was allowed to attend the École Municipale de Dessin et de Peinture, where he studied under Jean-Paul Alaux. Bouguereau became a bookkeeper for another wine merchant in… Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
Buying at Matchless Pieces
Register, verify your identity, and bid online or in a private room. Buyer’s premium and taxes are shown before you confirm.
