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The First Mourning (of Adam and Eve over Abel)
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905), oil on canvas, 1888,
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires
The First Mourning (of Adam and Eve over Abel)
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905), oil on canvas, 1888,
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires
“At the age of twelve, Bouguereau went to Mortagne-sur-Gironde to stay with his uncle Eugène, a priest, and developed a love of nature, religion, and literature. In 1839, he was sent to study for the priesthood at a Catholic college in Pons. Here he was taught to draw and paint by Louis Sage, who had studied under Ingres. Bouguereau reluctantly left his studies to return to his family, now residing in Bordeaux.”
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“…[A] French academic painter. 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. By the early twentieth century, Bouguereau and 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 Bouguereau and his work. He finished 822 known paintings, but the whereabouts of many are still unknown.”
credit - Wikipedia
His figures are idealized to some degree, but they are also models for healthy body image and intimacy. I don’t think the family had time for extreme sports, and I don’t think Eve had a flat stomach. In case you don’t know the story of brothers Cain and Abel, Cain killed Abel. If the painting does not cause grief and sorrow in you and contrition for what you have done, what would?
…
“…[A] French academic painter. 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. By the early twentieth century, Bouguereau and 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 Bouguereau and his work. He finished 822 known paintings, but the whereabouts of many are still unknown.”
credit - Wikipedia
His figures are idealized to some degree, but they are also models for healthy body image and intimacy. I don’t think the family had time for extreme sports, and I don’t think Eve had a flat stomach. In case you don’t know the story of brothers Cain and Abel, Cain killed Abel. If the painting does not cause grief and sorrow in you and contrition for what you have done, what would?
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