Lot Essay
When he was seven Bouguereau's family moved from La Rochelle and Bouguereau went to live with his uncle Eugne (see lot 29) in the small town of Mortagne. Recognizing his nephew's interest in art, his uncle enrolled him in the Collge de Pons at the age of thirteen. There he received instruction in drawing from Louis Sage who had studied under Ingres in Paris. Four years later, his father moved the family to Bourdeaux and Bouguereau joined them. He worked in his father's olive business and enrolled part-time in the cole Municipale de Dessin et de Peinture. According to Mark Walker, it was here that Bouguereau decided to commit himself to a career in painting (M. Walker,William Adolphe Bouguereau: L'Art Pompier, exh. cat., p.77). His dedication earned him a first prize for figure painting at the Ecole for a picture of St. Roch in 1844 and the next year he enterd Jacob receiving the Tunic of his son in the "concours" (or competition) for History Painting. Success in these competitions assured the advancement of the artist through the State sponsored Academies and it was History Painting that was ranked highest. In Jacob receiving the tunic of his Son Bouguereau used an Old Testament story as subject.
Relatively few paintings remain from Bouguereau's early years as a student and it is interesting to note that Jacob receiving the Tunic of his son was painted when Bouguereau was only twenty years old. It has been suggested that Bouguereau used his family as models for the painting and that their portraits can be seen in the final work. The following year Bouguereau went to Paris for the first time where he entered the studio of Picot at the suggestion of Jean Paul Alaux who had been director at the cole in Bordeaux. It was not until four years later that Bouguereau was to win the prestigious Premier Prix de Rome and find his career firmly established.
Relatively few paintings remain from Bouguereau's early years as a student and it is interesting to note that Jacob receiving the Tunic of his son was painted when Bouguereau was only twenty years old. It has been suggested that Bouguereau used his family as models for the painting and that their portraits can be seen in the final work. The following year Bouguereau went to Paris for the first time where he entered the studio of Picot at the suggestion of Jean Paul Alaux who had been director at the cole in Bordeaux. It was not until four years later that Bouguereau was to win the prestigious Premier Prix de Rome and find his career firmly established.