William Bouguereau The Young Shepherdess.

Question

I am writing a paper on it, any suggestions as to what to put.

Answer 1

Online links:  http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Wil...

I might also see if your library has any good books on Bouguereau that you could brief.  Look also for scholarly articles, as these will give you lesser known insights into the work that will make your paper sparkle.  

Find out the context of the painting. . . . was it part of a series?  Did he use a favorite model?  What stage of his career does it represent, and how is that important?  You might even learn of the history of the ownership of the painting, if it has had an interesting life!  Find out why he liked to paint the shepherdess theme,  and why he loved to paint women.  

Then, for your paper, you will want to follow a fairly clear outline moving from your research (history, context, artists feelings, etc.) to your impressions ( briefly) and your own conclusions, if you have any.  Do not ever be afraid to offer your own theories about a piece you must analyze. . . that is what academics do, after all!  

Great subject about a great piece by a great artist!  I have Bouguereau's Temptation, a Minneapolis Institute of Art poster .  . . and always adore my time with the Bouguereau collection at the Frye Museum in Seattle where they regularly display one or more of the following:

Two Sisters, 1905

Flight of Love, 1901

Pastel Study #3, 1940-50

Answer 2

I freaking love Bouguereau. Find the "Art Renewal Center" website. I don't know much about the guy, but they have tons of his images on that site. Good luck and lemme know when you're done. I'd love to see what you find.

Answer 3

You have spelled his name correctly. Full marks for that.

Bouguereau is a pivotal figure in western art. He is perhaps the last of the great romantic realists who got trampled by impressionism and modernism in the late 19th and early 20th century. Few artists in history were more loved in their time and then reviled shortly after.

For modern art writers and artists alike, Bouguereau represented everything that was bad about 'classical' art. His main crime was his relentless depiction of beauty, which became a dirty word in 20th century art. For your paper, try and argue for beauty. We have had enough ugliness in art since he died.