Lot Essay
William Adolphe Bouguereau was the son of a wine merchant from La Rochelle, whose uncle Eugéne first introduced him to the writings of the Ancients. Despite his father's hope that he would someday continue in the family business, Bouguereau convinced him that he indeed was going to pursue a career as an artist.
In 1846, at the age of twenty, Bouguereau went to Paris to study at the Atelier of Picot. Picot himself had trained under François André Vincent who had been a student of David, and his interests in the Antique complimented those of the young Bouguereau. One of his fellow students in the Atelier was none other than Alexander Cabanel (see lot 20.) The political turmoils of the 1848 insurrection had caused the postponement of the award for the coveted Prix de Rome but by 1850 the political situation had stabilized sufficiently and the award was reinstated. The first place award that year was given to Paul Baudry but a special "premier grand prix" was awarded to Bouguereau. This award allowed him to study with the Acadèmie de France à Rome at the Villa Medici for three years.
Records show that Bouguereau painted three 'envois' in his first year in Rome: Idylle (lot 55), Canéphore (lot 54) and Les Juifs emmenés en captivité. Bouguereau was familiar with the writings of the Greeks and Romans from his earlier schooling. He was also a deeply devout Christian. The dialogue between these two interests is particularly evident in Canéphore.
The references underlying Canéphore are myriad. Though the setting is Greek the iconography has Christian overtones. The Canephore in Ancient Greece were the figures who carried the baskets of scared items to be used at feasts. In architecture they frequently took on the form of caryatids and were most often female figures. However, in his composition Bouguereau chose to place a Michelangelesque male figure, loosely based on the Bellevedere Torso, as the central focus. Canéphore was an ambitious painting for a man of twenty-five. When it was completed it was criticized by the Academy for what they saw as anatomical weaknesses and a poor choice of subject. Despite that opinion, Bouguereau had clearly heeded the directives of his instructors in both subject and style. According to Isaacson, "each summer at the festival to honor Athena, maidens bearing baskets with the instruments of sacrafice...and youths bearing pitures, followed the procession of the Peplos to the Acropolis." The painting is precisely rendered and the narrative is presented in a life size, frieze-like composition. The mannerist juxtapositions of color suggest Renaissance models and the figures profiles and torsos appear to be based on ancient sculptures. Moreover, historic verisimilitude is implied by his meticulous reconstruction of the details of the period: the thrush basket, amphorae, garments, architecture, and vegetation.
We are grateful to Mark Steven Walker for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.
In 1846, at the age of twenty, Bouguereau went to Paris to study at the Atelier of Picot. Picot himself had trained under François André Vincent who had been a student of David, and his interests in the Antique complimented those of the young Bouguereau. One of his fellow students in the Atelier was none other than Alexander Cabanel (see lot 20.) The political turmoils of the 1848 insurrection had caused the postponement of the award for the coveted Prix de Rome but by 1850 the political situation had stabilized sufficiently and the award was reinstated. The first place award that year was given to Paul Baudry but a special "premier grand prix" was awarded to Bouguereau. This award allowed him to study with the Acadèmie de France à Rome at the Villa Medici for three years.
Records show that Bouguereau painted three 'envois' in his first year in Rome: Idylle (lot 55), Canéphore (lot 54) and Les Juifs emmenés en captivité. Bouguereau was familiar with the writings of the Greeks and Romans from his earlier schooling. He was also a deeply devout Christian. The dialogue between these two interests is particularly evident in Canéphore.
The references underlying Canéphore are myriad. Though the setting is Greek the iconography has Christian overtones. The Canephore in Ancient Greece were the figures who carried the baskets of scared items to be used at feasts. In architecture they frequently took on the form of caryatids and were most often female figures. However, in his composition Bouguereau chose to place a Michelangelesque male figure, loosely based on the Bellevedere Torso, as the central focus. Canéphore was an ambitious painting for a man of twenty-five. When it was completed it was criticized by the Academy for what they saw as anatomical weaknesses and a poor choice of subject. Despite that opinion, Bouguereau had clearly heeded the directives of his instructors in both subject and style. According to Isaacson, "each summer at the festival to honor Athena, maidens bearing baskets with the instruments of sacrafice...and youths bearing pitures, followed the procession of the Peplos to the Acropolis." The painting is precisely rendered and the narrative is presented in a life size, frieze-like composition. The mannerist juxtapositions of color suggest Renaissance models and the figures profiles and torsos appear to be based on ancient sculptures. Moreover, historic verisimilitude is implied by his meticulous reconstruction of the details of the period: the thrush basket, amphorae, garments, architecture, and vegetation.
We are grateful to Mark Steven Walker for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.