Born La Rochelle, 30 November 1825, died La Rochelle, 19 August 1905. Bouguereau's father was in the olive oil trade and the son started out in the family business but from an early age had the desire to paint. From 1842 he was able to study part-time at the Ecole municipale de dessin et de peinture in Bordeaux. In 1846, Bouguereau moved to Paris where he enrolled in the studio of François-Edouard Picot at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and he won the Rome Prize in 1850 for his painting Zenobia Discovered by Shepherds on the Bank of the River Araxes. From 1850 to 1854 he worked in Italy, where he made extensive study of classical sculpture and of the great masters, particularly Raphael, Andrea del Sarto and Guido Reni. Giotto's work at Assissi and Padua also impressed him.
Bouguereau's style, once established, changed little throughout his life. Classical poses, high finish and restrained color are typical. He preferred traditional subjects drawn from history and mythology, but turned to lighter subjects in the 1870s. Extremely popular in the mid to late 19th century and consequently very wealthy, he fell out of favor among the intelligentsia in France who had responded to Charles Baudelaire's call for paintings of modern life and who found Bouguereau's paintings slick, sentimental and unoriginal. Bouguereau, in turn, rejected modernism and remained a staunch defender of the academic training he had received.
In addition to the nearly 1200 paintings Bouguereau completed, he decorated a number of buildings: in Paris, the Palais des Tuileries, the church of St. Clothilde, the church of St. Augustine, the old town hall, the Hôtel Bartholon and the Hôtel Péreire. At La Rochelle he decorated the cupola of the chapel dedicated to the Virgin at the cathedral, and the Hôtel Monlun.
Among the many decorations he received, Bouguereau was named Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur in 1859, Officier in 1876, Commandeur in 1885 and Grand-Officier in 1903. He received a chair at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, became a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in January 1876, and was president of the Association des Artistes, Peintres, Architectes, Graveurs et Dessinateurs.
He was married twice: first to Marie-Nelly Monchablon, then to Elisabeth Gardner.
Sources:
Bénézit, E. Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs. Paris: Gründ, 1976, vol. 2; Balteau, J., M. Barroux and M. Prévost, eds. Dictionnaire de Biographie Française. Paris: Letouzey et Ane, 1933-, vol. 6; Thieme, Ulrich and Felix Becker, eds. Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Künstler. Leipzig: Seeman, 1907-1950, vol. 4; Turner, J. ed. The Dictionary of Art. New York: Macmillan, 1996 , vol. 4.
Painting of a woman holding two sleeping nude babies, wearing white fabric draped over her head and shoulders with abundant blue-green fabric wrapped and loosely gathered around the rest of her body standing in front of a lush background with areas of blue sky peaking through the foliage.
Subject Matter
Charity was a popular theme for many 19th-century artists and a subject, which Bouguereau revisited throughout his career. He studied the work of Renaissance masters and was greatly influenced by Classical and early Italian Renaissance art, drawing much of his subject matter from mythological, classical and biblical stories. In “Charity” the carefully arranged poses, highly finished surface, restrained yet rich palette, and dramatic use of light, which are hallmarks of Bouguereau's style, serve to idealize and ennoble the subject.
Label Copy
March 28 2009
Charity was a popular theme for many nineteenth-century artists and one that Bouguereau revisited throughout his career. Along with faith and hope, it is one of the three Christian virtues, defined as love of God or the love of one’s neighbor for the sake of God. This virtue was often personified by acts of mercy—such as clothing the naked or nursing the sick—or, as here, by a mother with multiple children.
All of Bouguereau’s paintings were meticulously planned and executed: each was preceded by an initial oil sketch and numerous pencil drawings from life, and his incredible technical skill is evident in the precise drawing, the clarity of the forms, and the flawless flesh tones. His paintings are also characterized by their “licked” finish, painstakingly achieved by adding extra oil medium to the paint, which was applied in thin glazes with a coat of varnish between each layer. The result was a surface so smooth that individual brushstrokes are invisible.
Bouguereau was one of the most successful artists of the last decades of the nineteenth century, and his paintings were especially popular with Americans, who often bought them as soon as they were completed.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Born La Rochelle, 30 November 1825, died La Rochelle, 19 August 1905. Bouguereau's father was in the olive oil trade and the son started out in the family business but from an early age had the desire to paint. From 1842 he was able to study part-time at the Ecole municipale de dessin et de peinture in Bordeaux. In 1846, Bouguereau moved to Paris where he enrolled in the studio of François-Edouard Picot at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and he won the Rome Prize in 1850 for his painting Zenobia Discovered by Shepherds on the Bank of the River Araxes. From 1850 to 1854 he worked in Italy, where he made extensive study of classical sculpture and of the great masters, particularly Raphael, Andrea del Sarto and Guido Reni. Giotto's work at Assissi and Padua also impressed him.
Bouguereau's style, once established, changed little throughout his life. Classical poses, high finish and restrained color are typical. He preferred traditional subjects drawn from history and mythology, but turned to lighter subjects in the 1870s. Extremely popular in the mid to late 19th century and consequently very wealthy, he fell out of favor among the intelligentsia in France who had responded to Charles Baudelaire's call for paintings of modern life and who found Bouguereau's paintings slick, sentimental and unoriginal. Bouguereau, in turn, rejected modernism and remained a staunch defender of the academic training he had received.
In addition to the nearly 1200 paintings Bouguereau completed, he decorated a number of buildings: in Paris, the Palais des Tuileries, the church of St. Clothilde, the church of St. Augustine, the old town hall, the Hôtel Bartholon and the Hôtel Péreire. At La Rochelle he decorated the cupola of the chapel dedicated to the Virgin at the cathedral, and the Hôtel Monlun.
Among the many decorations he received, Bouguereau was named Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur in 1859, Officier in 1876, Commandeur in 1885 and Grand-Officier in 1903. He received a chair at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, became a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in January 1876, and was president of the Association des Artistes, Peintres, Architectes, Graveurs et Dessinateurs.
He was married twice: first to Marie-Nelly Monchablon, then to Elisabeth Gardner.
Sources:
Bénézit, E. Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs. Paris: Gründ, 1976, vol. 2; Balteau, J., M. Barroux and M. Prévost, eds. Dictionnaire de Biographie Française. Paris: Letouzey et Ane, 1933-, vol. 6; Thieme, Ulrich and Felix Becker, eds. Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Künstler. Leipzig: Seeman, 1907-1950, vol. 4; Turner, J. ed. The Dictionary of Art. New York: Macmillan, 1996 , vol. 4.
Painting of a woman holding two sleeping nude babies, wearing white fabric draped over her head and shoulders with abundant blue-green fabric wrapped and loosely gathered around the rest of her body standing in front of a lush background with areas of blue sky peaking through the foliage.
Subject Matter
Charity was a popular theme for many 19th-century artists and a subject, which Bouguereau revisited throughout his career. He studied the work of Renaissance masters and was greatly influenced by Classical and early Italian Renaissance art, drawing much of his subject matter from mythological, classical and biblical stories. In “Charity” the carefully arranged poses, highly finished surface, restrained yet rich palette, and dramatic use of light, which are hallmarks of Bouguereau's style, serve to idealize and ennoble the subject.
Label Copy
March 28 2009
Charity was a popular theme for many nineteenth-century artists and one that Bouguereau revisited throughout his career. Along with faith and hope, it is one of the three Christian virtues, defined as love of God or the love of one’s neighbor for the sake of God. This virtue was often personified by acts of mercy—such as clothing the naked or nursing the sick—or, as here, by a mother with multiple children.
All of Bouguereau’s paintings were meticulously planned and executed: each was preceded by an initial oil sketch and numerous pencil drawings from life, and his incredible technical skill is evident in the precise drawing, the clarity of the forms, and the flawless flesh tones. His paintings are also characterized by their “licked” finish, painstakingly achieved by adding extra oil medium to the paint, which was applied in thin glazes with a coat of varnish between each layer. The result was a surface so smooth that individual brushstrokes are invisible.
Bouguereau was one of the most successful artists of the last decades of the nineteenth century, and his paintings were especially popular with Americans, who often bought them as soon as they were completed.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Inscribed l.c.: "Noon" Signed LR: P. Weller Stamped LL: Federal Art Project NYC WPA Addt'l markings: signed on stone l.r.: P. Weller Inscribed LRC: 23 Original NY FAP label on verso, dated in ink: 6/20/39 Stamped: JUN 20 1939
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
This is another drawing Noguchi executed while in Beijing using a local infant as his model. To add substance and roundness to the body, which is composed of flat lines, Noguchi added a bold cursive wash, suggesting three-dimensions. On the lower right corner, the artist inscribed "This for Sotokichi Katsuizumi my best friend in Pekin for whom I have great affection. Isamu."
Inscription
Signed, with inscription: This for Sotokichi/Katsuizumi my best/friend in Pekin for/whom I have great/affection./Isamu
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
This painting shows the interior of a rustic house with a stone floor and rough rock walls. In the center foreground, a woman is crouched beside a wooden cradle. She has her arms around a sleeping baby whose face is highlighted by a ray of sunshine coming from an open window. Household items hang from the rafters and there is a spinning wheel beside her. A dog sits by an open hearth on the left. The color scheme is predominantly tones of brown, except for her red scarf, green shirt and the bluish purple of the hills seen outside the window.
Subject Matter
This is a genre painting which shows the interior of a Scottish farmhouse in the mid-19th century. It is a realistic portrayal of farm life showing the rustic conditions of this home. The room has a stone floor with rough stone and plank walls. Many household items are painted in detail, including a spinning wheel, a wooden chair and a wooden cradle. The sheep dog is resting by the hearth.Yet John Phillip has also included a sentimental element. A mother attending to her infant is the central focus of the composition. This gentle moment of motherhood is highlighted by a ray of sunshine that streams from the open window to illuminate the sleeping baby's face. Other details such as the books, flowers and hourglass on the window sill further relate his portrayal of the humble but noble life of a Scottish Highlander.
Label Copy
John Philip’s "The Highlander’s Home (Sunshine in the Cottage)" is an excellent example of Scottish genre painting by an artist rarely found in American collections. The painting depicts a humble interior occupied by a young mother watching over her infant asleep in a cradle, recalling Madonna and Child imagery. The beam of light piercing the window, evocative of divine presence, focuses the viewer’s attention on the figures at the center of the composition. Because paintings of everyday life (genre paintings) can suggest moralizing and didactic messages, the Victorian viewers of "The Highlander’s Home" may have read this modest cottage scene, with its strong religious overtones, as a reminder that beatific young mothers and cherubic children took center stage in the domestic sphere of Victorian Britain.
(C. McNamara, 18th-19th Century Gallery installation, early 1999)
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
These two images by Elliott Erwitt depict different aspects of motherhood. The top image shows fatigue and even isolation as the mother, reclining on the bed, takes a break from feeding her baby to stretch. In the bottom image depicting the same figures, the intimate bonding of mother and child are perfectly captured in the exchanged glances, the mother’s and cat’s bodies forming a protective parenthesis around the vulnerable child. This touching image was included in the exhibition The Family of Man, organized in 1955 for the Museum of Modern Art in New York by Edward Steichen.
Carole McNamara, Assistant Director for Collections & Exhibitions
on the occasion of the exhibition New York Observed: The Mythology of the City
(July 13 – September 22, 2003)
Inscription
Signed in ink below l.r. corner of image: Elliott Erwitt
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
A female nude reclining on a bed wearing one yellow slipper on her left foot, a gold bracelet on her right arm and a black ribbon tied in a bow around her neck. An African American woman in a blue dress stands behind her holding a bouquet of yellow and white flowers. A small monkey sits at the foot of the bed. All subjects look directly at the viewer.
Subject Matter
This work borrows its subject matter, title and composition directly from Manet’s Olympia painted in 1863, which depicts a nude mistress, or more likely a prostitute, reclining on a bed; behind her is an African American woman, presumably a maid, presenting her with a bouquet of flowers, while a black cat sits at the foot of the bed.
In this work, Mel Ramos blurs the line between the fine art tradition of the aestheticized female nude and contemporary pornography, suggested by his hyper-realist treatment of the nude, revealing her tan lines, her blonde bob, and her quasi-seductive gaze, similar to what one might find in any number of pin-ups girls. Ramos updates not only the reclining nude, but also the older black servant, who becomes a young woman with a stylish afro. He further exoticizes the scene by replacing Manet’s black cat, a common 19th century symbol for prostitute, with a small monkey that, along with the two women, makes direct eye contact with the viewer.
Inscription
Signed and dated in pencil, l.r.: Mel Ramos 74 Inscribed in pencil, l.l.: 90/200
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
