June 22 – September 22, 2019
Bouguereau & America
Comprising around 40 works by the French academic painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905), this exhibition explores the artist’s remarkable popularity in the United States. Bouguereau’s modern and highly-polished interpretations of classical subjects - including heroic men, sensuous goddesses, and playful cupids — as well as his intimate and idealized portrayal of peasant life were avidly sought after by American collectors. This exhibition focuses on Bouguereau’s paintings in US collections and how they reflect the tastes, beliefs and ambitions of America’s elite.
‘…an important and ambitious exhibition, fruit of the kind of fresh, original idea more institutions should aspire to… a fascinating exploration of a bygone moment in the history of American taste’ – Eric Gibson, Wall Street Journal
Pictured below:
Virgin of the Angels, 1881: Courtesy of Forest Lawn Memorial-Park Association
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825 - 1905)
A Young Girl Defending Herself against Love, about 1880, Oil on canvas
81.6 × 57.8 cm (32 1/8 × 22 3/4 in.), 70.PA.3
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Exhibition Programs
Artist
Curators
Artist
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
French, 1825-1905.
Bouguereau paints modern and highly-polished interpretations of classical subjects - including heroic men, sensuous goddesses, and playful cupids — as well as intimate and idealized portrayal of peasant life.
Painter
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
French, 1825-1905.
Bouguereau paints modern and highly-polished interpretations of classical subjects - including heroic men, sensuous goddesses, and playful cupids — as well as intimate and idealized portrayal of peasant life.
Program Recordings
Resources
The 901 Black American Portraits Soundtrack
Listen to a soundtrack of Memphis music that exemplifies Black Love, Power, and Joy. The 901 Black American Portraits Soundtrack celebrates the vibrant legacy and future of Black musicians in the city of Memphis. This playlist was curated by Jared “Jay B” Boyd, a Memphis-based multimedia artist, journalist, DJ, and on-air personality.
MCA Exhibition Questionnaire
Help us generate the fullest picture possible of the MCA experience.
Submitting a questionnaire, which includes a request for an image of an artwork, is essential to be considered for part of the exhibition.
Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?
The American art theorist Linda Nochlin (1931-2017) posed this question as the title of a pioneering article in 1971. This essay was considered one of the first major works of Feminist art history, it has become a set text for those who study art internationally, and it is influential in many other fields.