La petite blessee

The decade spanning the years from 1875-1885 found Bouguereau continually searching for inspiration in the rural world. Having been raised in the country for most of his life, he felt profound comfort when surrounded by it and therefore, had a continuing fascination with it as his primary subject matter. This kind of a rustic character was a symbol of pure human spirit for Bouguereau. He preferred depicting subjects that the fast paced contemporary mass populace chose to ignore and disdain. His young children, girls and youthful ladies, whether they were shepherdesses or fisher women working or daydreaming, are the reflections of the eternal and timeless feminine ideal. Indeed Bouguereau always represented them as deserving nobility and sometimes as high-born citizens. For example, the young peasant girl would not have been able to purchase earrings of the quality depicted in this picture! It is during this period that Bouguereau's reputation among his admirers and pupils grew considerabley.

We are grateful to Damien Bartoli for preparing this catalogue entry.

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