William Bouguereau (French, 1825-1905)

Italienne à la fontaine

Details

William Bouguereau (French, 1825-1905)
Italienne à la fontaine
signed and dated 'W. Bouguereau 1870' (center left)
oil on canvas
36 x 29 in. (91.4 x 73.6 cm.)
Painted in 1870

Provenance

Goupil, Paris, 25 April 1870.
McLean, London (by June 1870).
Thomas Numm Gladdish Collection, London.
Anon. sale, Christie's London, 23 June 1877, lot 117.
Goupil, Paris, 29 June 1877.
Goupil, The Hague, February 1878.
Lock Gallery, New York (by 1950).
Private collection.
By descent to the present owner.

Literature

C. Vendryès, Dictionnaire illustré des Beaux-Arts: Bouguereau, e.d. Ludovic Baschet, Paris, 1885, p. 45.
M. Vachon, W. Bouguereau, Paris, Lahure, 1900, p. 150.
M.S.Walker, William Bouguereau - A Summery Catalogue of the Paintings, Borghi & Co., New York, 1991, p. 68.

Lot Essay

1870, the date in which the present work was executed, not only signifies the fall of the Second Empire, but also France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian war. Bouguereau, having remained in Paris, a city under siege, produced far less pictures during this year - he only completed 22 canvases. The present work Italienne à la fontaine certainly stands out in this group for the beauty of the young model. Wearing the national colors of Italy one may wonder whether she is meant to personify her glory.

This work will be included in the upcoming Bouguereau catalogue raisonné currently being prepared by Damien Bartoli with the assistance of Frederick Ross, the Bouguereau Committee and the American Society of Classical Realism.

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