William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Biblis, c. 1884
Oil on canvas
50×80.5 cm
Private collection
Sold for 1,025,000 USD in November 2014
Bouguereau writes: “Among my paintings, “Biblis” is one that I love the most, one that I most enjoyed painting; this even though it was inspired by an incident in the atelier. One of my female models had just asked to rest from a tiring pose; when the young woman was in the process of standing up, she instinctively found herself in a pose so beautiful that I stopped her with a gesture and a shout, begging her to hold the pose for just an instant longer. I sketched her immediately, very quickly… I had seen my “Biblis.” It is one of my best paintings” More on this painting
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, French, 1825 - 1905
Study for Biblis
Oil on canvas
10 ⁷⁄₁₀ by 13.⅘ in.; 27.2 by 35.1 cm
Private collection
Sold for 13,860 USD in January 2023
In Greek mythology, Biblis, daughter of Miletus, fell in love with her twin brother, Caunus. Though she realized that her feelings were taboo, she could not help but try to woo him and sent him a letter citing examples of incest among the Gods. Repelled and afraid, Caunus fled, driving Biblis mad and prompting her to shed her clothes and chase him through Greece and Anatolia, crying incessantly. Exhausted by grief and sorrow, she collapses, perishes and is transformed by nymphs into a spring, or according to other acccounts, is simply consumed by her tears and becomes a fountain. More on Biblis
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (November 30, 1825 –
August 19, 1905) was a French
academic painter and traditionalist. In his realistic genre paintings he used
mythological themes, making modern interpretations of classical subjects, with
an emphasis on the female human body. During his life he enjoyed significant
popularity in France and the United States, was given numerous official honors,
and received top prices for his work. As the quintessential salon painter of
his generation, he was reviled by the Impressionist avant-garde. By the early
twentieth century, Bouguereau and his art fell out of favor with the public,
due in part to changing tastes. 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, although the
whereabouts of many are still unknown. More William-Adolphe Bouguereau
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Spring Breeze, c. 1895
Oil on canvas
98×65 cm
Private collection
Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest
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