Online Museum Essay
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905)
The Elder Sister, 1869
Oil on canvas, 51 ¼ x 38 ¼ inches
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
One of the finest French artists of the 19th century thought of by many is William Bouguereau. He was well known for his traditional academic style and depicted paintings in such a way where they would seem life like and flawless taking away any imperfections. He was admired by the wealthy and known for painting portraits of others, in which he won many awards for. He also enjoyed painting portraits of his children. In Bouguereau’s The Elder Sister he created a life like portrait of his daughter and son on canvas in 1869. One thing that distinguished him from other artists was his attention to precise detail. It has been said that there were no other artists were as original that could create such beautiful paintings as him. When taking a closer look at this particular painting The Elders Sister, it becomes evident why he is considered one of the finest 19th century artists. Bouguereau’s The Elder Sister is a traditional oil painting on canvas that measures 51 ¼ x 38 ¼ inches. At first glance the viewer will notice the overall soft contoured lines while looking at a pair of young children, whom are surrounded by rural landscape into the vanishing point that meets the cloudy blue-grey sky in the horizon. The elements of analogous earth tones seen throughout the painting are accompanied by a few complimentary colors seen on the children’s clothing which
Bibliography: "William-Adolphe Bouguereau Biography." Bouguereau Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://www.bouguereau.org/biography.html>. "MFAH | Top 100 Highlights | #1 - The Elder Sister." MFAH | Top 100 Highlights | #1 - The Elder Sister. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2012. <http://www.mfah.org/art/100-highlights/Elder-Sister-Bouguereau/>. William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) The Elder Sister, 1869