William-Adolphe Bouguereau

William-Adolphe Bouguereau was a French academic painter who lived from 1825 to 1905. In his realistic genre paintings he used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of classical subjects with an emphasis on the female human body. During his life he enjoyed significant popularity in France and the United States, was given numerous official honors and received top prices for his work. As the quintessential salon painter of his generation he was reviled by the Impressionist avant-garde, and by the early twentieth century his art fell out of favor with the public, due in part to changing tastes. In the 1980s a revival of interest in figure painting led to a rediscovery of his work, and he finished 822 known paintings.