William-Adolphe Bouguereau 30 November 1825 – 19 August 1905) was 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. Throughout the course of his life, Bouguereau executed 822 known finished paintings, although the whereabouts of many are still unknown.

Bouguereau by Fronia E. Wissman – 1st Edition, Paperback: 128 pages: Pomegranate, 1996 Best Seller

Midwest Book Review: Fronia Wissman's Bouguereau offers astute and illuminating insights into his art, career, and family life of the French artist Adolphe-William Bouguereau (1825-1905) whose evocative visions of a better, purer time and place earned him a passionate following during his lifetime down through the present. 60 full color reproductions and 15 black & white illustrations perfectly exemplify Bouguereau's prodigious talent in creating works of sensual, emotional, and intellectual appeal.

Bouguereau and America by Tanya Paul, Stanton Thomas, Eric Zafran, Martha Hoppin, Abigail Solomon-Godeau, Catherine Sawinski – Hardcover: 192 pages; Yale University Press (Mar 12, 2019)

Seeking to bring Gallic sophistication and worldly elegance into their galleries and drawing rooms, wealthy Americans of the late 19th and early 20th centuries collected the work of William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905) in record numbers. This fascinating volume offers an in-depth exploration of Bouguereau’s overwhelming popularity in turn-of-the-century America and the ways that his work—widely known from reviews, exhibitions, and inexpensive reproductions—resonated with the American public.

William-Adolphe Bouguereau - Paintings & Drawings by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (Author, Illustrator) – Paperback: 75 pages; Independently published (May 22, 2018)

he works of French academic painter and traditionalist artist William-Adolphe Bouguereau.

In the Studios of Paris: William Bouguereau and His American Students – Hardcover: 211 pages; The Philbrook Museum of Art (Oct 15, 2006)

William Bouguereau (1825-1905) was an influential French academic painter, who taught a long succession of gifted students, primarily at the private Académie Julian in Paris. Among them, Bouguereau instructed more than two hundred young American artists. In the Studios of Paris provides a unique look at the history of Parisian art education during the last quarter of the 19th century and its profound influence on American art.

This landmark publication-the first to focus exclusively on Bouguereau and his American pupils-presents sixty-five paintings, drawings, and prints by the master and eleven of his most prominent students, including Eanger Irving Couse, Elizabeth Gardner Bouguereau, and Robert Henri. A series of carefully researched essays place the artists' work in historical context and discuss various American responses to Bouguereau's painting and pedagogical techniques, along with the subsequent reception and collecting of their work in the United States.

William Bouguereau: The Essential Works by Frederick C. Ross, Kara Lysandra Ross – Hardcover: 240 pages; ACC Art Books (Nov 20, 2018)

William Bouguereau, the most popular artist in nineteenth-century France, is rapidly becoming one of the most popular realist artists of all time. This book is an exploration of the four main types of paintings that were most prevalent throughout Bouguereau's body of work

Bouguereau: 70 Paintings by William Bouguereau, Maria Tsaneva (Foreword) – Paperback: 88 pages; Independently published (Jul 31, 2019)

In the eighties his art was progressively re-evaluated, and today Bouguereau is considered as one of the great painters of the nineteenth century.

William Bouguereau: His Life and Works by Damien Bartoli, Frederic C. Ross – Hardcover: 400 pages; Antique Collectors Club (Jun 30, 2014)

William Bouguereau (1825-1905) was a highly important and influential French academic painter, who taught a long succession of gifted students, primarily at the private Académie Julien in Paris. Bouguereau wanted to become a serious history painter and his efforts paid off in 1850 when he won the much coveted Prix de Rome (meaning that the French government paid him to stay in Rome and study art).

William Bouguereau: 137 Paintings and Drawings by Maria Tsaneva – Paperback: 142 pages; CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st edition (Feb 4, 2015)

William Bouguereau was a follower of classical art and had no wish for everything like novelty or the avant-garde. His sense of idealism was his guiding principle, regarding the ugly as worthless for representation. A skilled craftsman and master of human anatomy, he utilized a delicate palette and glorious light to sensitively capture nuances of personality and mood, vibrantly bringing the soul and spirit of his subjects to life. Bouguereau has left a large number of works and he is undoubtedly a key figure in 19th century French art. Although his work was widely collected by the English and more especially by the Americans in his lifetime, Bouguereau’s reputation in France was more indistinct—indeed quite low—in his later years. He remained a hard supporter of the academic training system at a time when it was criticized for stifling originality and nurturing mediocrity.