Jeunes Bohemiennes
Translated title: Young Gypsies.
William Bouguereau 1879 Oil on canvas 65 1/4 x 38 7/8 inches (166 x 99 cm) Collection of Fred and Sherry Ross, USA Signed and dated lower left "Bouguereau loved to exalt the poor. A gypsy mother, holding her young child in her arms, stands on an elevated plane with a backdrop of nearly only sky. They stand so high in fact, that in the distance the ocean can be seen all the way to the horizon, symbolizing that even though the gypsies’ social status is low, they have just as much right to stand as tall and as proud. The figures both look down on the viewer, further emphasizing their elevated state. The dignity of the lower classes was a favorite theme of Bouguereau's that he depicted in many of his works. The mother and child are both beautiful showing that there modest clothing has no impact on their beauty." -- by Kara Ross "Modernist ideologues love to say that Bouguereau was irrelevant to his times because he wasn’t one of the impressionists who were carving out the path to abstract expressionism. Nothing could be further from the truth. A child of the recent French and American Revolution, Bouguereau along with many artists and writers of the day, believed in the breakthroughs of Enlightenment thought: Democracy, the Rights of men, “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”. Not only wasn’t it true that he was irrelevant, but nothing could have been more relevant, than works like this that ennobled and elevated ordinary people and peasants. And what better way then to take the lowest of the low in society, the Gypsies, and to raise them to the heavens? They are both beautiful without being overly pretty; 'real' and 'ideal' at the same time." 
Portrait de Gabrielle Cot
Translated title: Portrait of Gabrielle Cot.
William Bouguereau 1890 Oil on canvas 17 7/8 x 14 7/8 inches (45.5 x 38 cm) Collection of Fred and Sherry Ross, USA This magnificent portrait has been judged by a number of top experts and master artists, to be one of the greatest portrait heads ever painted ... by any artist ... ever. Gabriel Cot was the daughter of Bouguereau’s most famous student, Pierre August Cot. Bouguereau was planning to use her for one of his major paintings, and so he started this as a study for that painting, but, as he worked, he was so captivated by Gabriel’s beauty, including her intense inner beauty, that he finished it as one of his only un-commissioned portraits. I know of no other work that better exemplifies how this master captured the subtle nuances of personality and mood. 
Au Bord du Ruisseau
Translated title: At the Edge of the Brook.
William Bouguereau (1825-1905) 1875 Oil on canvas Collection of Fred and Sherry Ross, USA Commentary by Fred and Kara Ross: This painting is one of the most sensitive single figures ever painted. Hauntingly enigmatic, but kind and beautiful, this young peasant girl’s childhood innocence blends seamlessly with the emerging woman who rivets your eyes to hers. She stares directly at you with a serene kindness imbued with goodness and trust. Inherent is the moral imperative not to betray that trust. This is a prime example of Bouguereau’s unique ability to capture ever subtle nuances of personality and mood. Symbolically she sits by “The Edge of the River”. She sits at perhaps the greatest crossroads in life. Her hands and legs are crossed to accentuate that symbolism as are the trunks of the trees behind and to the viewer's right. She wears a humanistic halo of vibrant red flowers alluding to the spirituality inherent in youth. This masterpiece was the poster painting for the 1984 William Bouguereau retrospective that traveled from Paris’ Petite Palais, to the Montreal Museum of Fine Art, and finally to Hartford’s Wadsworth Atheneum. ARC’s Chairman, Fred Ross was one of 4 people on a symposium held there, along with Dr. Barbara Weinberg, Gergory Hedberg, and a reported for the local paper. 
Petites Maraudeuses
Translated title: Little Thieves.
William Bouguereau (1825-1905) 1872 Oil on canvas 78 7/8 x 42 7/8 inches (200.5 x 109 cm) Private collection "In this tender piece two sisters are escaping with a basket of stolen apples. The older sister is gently helping the younger off of a wall. One gets the sense when looking at this piece that the two girls have done this many times before, causing the love, companionship, and sense of shared mischief to be clearly and tenderly captured. This work is a great example of Bouguereau’s amazing sense of composition. Both sisters are centered with the space between them being in the almost exact center of the canvas; the younger sister’s knee countering the older sisters head. The green foliage hanging off the left side of the wall perfectly offsets the bush in the lower right; and the apples in the lower left are countered by the light area in the upper right. Even the wall is balanced with the bricks peaking through the wall to the lower left and the grass poking through on the upper right. Bouguereau painted another image of a young thief 28 years later called Little Thief which is an image of a young girl sitting on a wall, holding a single pear and smiling mischievously." 
La Vierge aux Anges
Translated title: The Virgin with Angels.
Alternative title: The Song of the Angels.
William Bouguereau (1825-1905) 1881 Oil on canvas 84 x 60 inches (213.4 x 152.4 cm) Museum at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park, Glendale, California, USA 
L'Amour et Psyche, enfants Translated title: Cupid and Psyche as Children. William Bouguereau (1825-1905) 1889 Oil on canvas 47 x 27 7/8 inches (119.5 x 71 cm) Private collection Added 8/27/2001 "The story of Cupid and Psyche was one of Bouguereau’s favorite myths. He painted several works inspired from this legend, such as The Rapture of Psyche, Psyche and Cupid, and Psyche. The myth of Cupid and Phsyche first appears written in The Golden Ass of Lucius Apuleius in the 2nd century AD. In the story, Psyche is a beautiful princess of whom the goddess Venus is jealous. In her rage she orders her son cupid to make Psyche fall in love with a monster, but Cupid falls in love with her himself. After several trials Cupid and Psyche make their plea to the gods who turn Psyche into an immortal and allow them to be married in heaven (British Library). In this painting Bouguereau was inspired to paint the two lovers together as children. Demonstrating that fate its self had a hand in there meeting. They were born to be together. The subtle paint handling captures the children’s innocence and illustrates to the viewer that Cupid's original attraction to Psyche was not purely physical, but also platonic, for the innocence of childhood does not allow for anything else. You cannot have true love without also having a mutual trust and respect, and a relaxed and enduring companionship between lovers. Cupid and Psyche’s union then is not just physical: they are soul mates and compliment each other eternally." -- by Kara Ross 
Le Ravissement de Psyche
Translated title: The Rapture of Psyche.
William Bouguereau (1825-1905) 1895 Oil on canvas 82 1/4 x 47 1/8 inches (209 x 120 cm) Private collection "This is one of Bouguereau’s more romantic pieces. With Psyche finally in the arms of her love, Cupid, the two ascend to heaven. The subtle use of color is truly astonishing. The light and dark purples of the cloth surrounding Cupid and Psyche play beautifully against the purple grey clouds and mountains. The myth of Cupid and Psyche dates all the way back to Apuleius in the 2nd century AD. In the myth, Psyche is a beautiful princess of whom the goddess Venus is jealous. In her rage she orders her son cupid to make Psyche fall in love with a monster, but Cupid falls in love with her himself. After several trials Cupid and Psyche make their plea to the gods who turn Psyche into an immortal and allow them to be married in heaven (British Library). The story of Cupid and Psyche was a subject matter for several of Bouguereau’s paintings including Cupid and Psyche as Children (1889), Psyche and Cupid (1896), and Psyche." -- by Kara Ross 
Flagellation de Notre Seigneur Jésus Christ
Translated title: The Flagellation of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
William Bouguereau (1825-1905) 1880 Oil on canvas 121 5/8 x 83 3/8 inches (309 x 212 cm) Cathedral of La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France "The Flagellation of Christ is one of Bouguereau’s greatest religious masterpieces. Christ, tied to a column, limply hangs; with his feet dragging on the ground and head hung back he submits to his fate. Two men stand in mid swing with their whipping ropes flying through the air. A third man kneeling to the lower right is fastening birch branches for the next part of the beating. Yet a forth man can be seen standing behind the attacker to the right also with birch branches in the ready. The viewer can feel the pain of Christ's torment. Christ is surrounded by a group of curious spectators. To the left a young boy shelters his eyes from the horrid sight by turning his back and pressing himself against his mother. To the right, just above Christ’s head, a baby looks down at him sympathetically while hoisted up on his father’s shoulders. This life size masterpiece is every bit as great any religious works done by Raphael, Leonardo, or Caravaggio. The harmonious interplay of drawing, paint handling, composition, perspective with this powerful emotional thrust are 2nd to none." 
La Charité
Translated title: Charity.
William Bouguereau (1825-1905) 1878 Oil on canvas 77 1/8 x 46 inches (196 x 117 cm) Private collection "Charity currently holds the world record for a Bouguereau painting sold at auction selling in the summer of 2000 for 3,600,000 US dollars. The painting depicts a beautiful woman caring and protecting five young children giving them her nurturing, sustenance, and knowledge. The nurturing is represented by her bared breasts indicating her intent to allow the children to nurse from her, and illustrating her willingness to give of herself for their well being. Under her left foot is an overturned jug with gold and silver coins flowing out of it. This symbol reveals that there is no cost too great for their happiness, and that she is willing spend what ever money it takes to ensure it, even if it’s everything that she has. By her right foot a boy is leaning on a pile of books, showing her intent to educate them and give them the gift of knowledge. Charity is a truly exquisite painting using symbolic imagery to portray the true meaning of selflessness and of course charity." -- by Kara Ross 
Pietà
Pitia
William Bouguereau (1825-1905) 1876 Oil on canvas 90 1/2 x 58 1/4 inches (230 x 148 cm) Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas, Texas, USA Private collection conserved in museum Signed and dated bottom center "The weeping Mary cloaked in a robe of black, mourning the death of her son Jesus, whom she clutches to her chest, is a religious masterpiece. The dead body of Jesus hangs limply in her arms while eight weeping angels surround them. The angels are clad in the colors of the rainbow and create an arc over Mary and Jesus. This arc could possibly symbolize the approach of Jesus’ resurrection. In the Old Testament, after the great flood had ended, Noah and his children saw a rainbow appear in the shape of the Ark, which was God’s way of saying that the flood was over and the world could be born anew. In Bouguereau’s Pieta, the rainbow might symbolize that the sacrifice of Jesus is complete and that the human soul can be born anew and ascend to God after death. At Jesus’ feet lies the crown of thorns used to mock him during the Crucifixion; it lies on a white cloth covered in the blood of Christ, showing the torment Jesus went though in order that humanity could attain salvation. The white robe and pitcher of water represent the purity of Jesus' soul. Both Jesus and Mary are surrounded by a halo of light indicating their holiness." -- by Kara Ross 
Nymphes et Satyre
Translated title: Nymphs and Satyr.
William Bouguereau (1825-1905) 1873 Oil on canvas 102 1/4 x 70 3/4 inches (260 x 180 cm) Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA Added 8/27/2001 Four nymphs tease and play with a satyr by trying to pull him into a lake. One nymph waves behind to three other nymphs in the distance, perhaps beckoning them to come and play with the satyr as well. The satyr half heartedly tries to resist the nymph’s wiles, entranced by their beauty. Nymphs are from Greek mythology. They are considered to be minor female deities, and have a duty to protect different elements of nature such as streams, mountains and meadows (pantheon). The male counterpart for a nymph is a satyr. A satyr is a creature also from Greek mythology having the torso and face of a man, ears and tail of a horse, and feet of a goat. They are known for being lustful and fertile creatures. Bouguereau captures an incredible sense of motion in this piece. One can feel the struggle for the satyr to keep his ground, and the nymphs’ joyous struggle to pull him in. The three dimensional rendering of form and movement is reminiscent of some of Bernini’s most famous works at the Palace Borghesi in Rome, such as Pluto and Prosperpine, and Apollo and Daphne. On January 4th, 2002, our chairman, Fred Ross, described to an audience of Portrait Artists meeting at the Salmagundi Club in Manhattan, how this very work played the pivotal roll in altering his understanding of art history, and lead to the way to the uncovering of this entire era and ultimately to the creation of the Art Renewal Center. I quote him rather extensively below, but you can find the entire speech (to which I was a witness to the incredibly reception and enthusiasm) 
Le Repos
Translated title: Rest.
William Bouguereau (1825-1905) 1879 Oil on canvas 64 1/2 x 42 1/8 inches (164 x 107 cm) Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, USA Signed and dated lower left Added 8/27/2001 "Though the family depicted in this scene is poor, one can tell that they understand that money does not necessarily buy happiness. The mother tenderly holds her baby with her older son asleep at her feet indicating the joy and peace that can be found in everyday family life and in motherhood. The mother gazes out at her viewers as if to ask how she could possibly need more then she already has, her greatest treasures lying in her arms and at her feet. Bouguereau was a deeply religious man, and the church in the background symbolizes that God rules over the rich as well as the poor, and that all people are children of God and equal in His eyes." -- by Kara Ross
Alma Parens
Translated title: L'[$acirc]me parentale (The Motherland).
William Bouguereau (1825-1905) 1883 Oil on canvas 90 1/2 x 55 inches (230 x 140 cm) Private collection Signed and dated lower right "Alma Mater is a patriotic masterpiece. The name Alma Mater is Latin for Nurturing Mother. However, it was also adapted from Latin into the more commonly known words 'alma mater' meaning national anthem. The woman in this image represents Mother France nurturing her children. Her face is filled with resolution and a determined steadfastness to her cause. The nine children surrounding her look poor and in desperate need of her aid. If one looks closely at the mother one can almost see a slight glimpse of worry in her eyes, and a slight uncertainty about her ability to perform her duty, for storm clouds above her forecast rough times ahead. As Damien Bartoli, world expert on Bougureau, points out: 'The beautiful and impassive young woman forms a truly modern icon, wearing a wreath of ears of corn decorated with flowers in the colors of the French nation: the blue corn-flower, white daisies and red corn poppies. At her feet lie strewn the symbols of agricultural France in the form of wheat and a grape vine, but also of an apple, symbolizing the autumn, the season of fruit and the harvest'. Alma Mater broke the world record for a Bougureau painting sold at auction in November of 1998 when it sold for $2,640,000, a record which was again broken a year and a half later with the sale of Charity for $3,600,000." -- by Kara Ross
Portrait de l'artiste
Translated title: Portrait of the Artist.
William Bouguereau (1825-1905)
Alternative title: Self-portrait.
1879
Oil on canvas
18 1/4 x 15 1/8 inches (46.5 x 38.5 cm)
Montreal Museum of Arts, Montreal, Canada
Signed and dated upper left
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