01 Works, RELIGIOUS ART - Paintings from the Bible by the Old Masters, 5h

William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1825 - 1905

La Vierge au Lys,  The Virgin of the Lilies, c. 1899

Oil on canvas

Private collection

The Madonna of the Lilies depicts Mary as a seated figure, a pose which has been favoured in religious iconography since the fifteenth century. The child is lovingly supported by his mother while his arms reach out to the viewer. White lilies placed around her throne symbolise chastity and purity. More on Madonna of the Lilies

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (November 30, 1825 – August 19, 1905) was a French academic painter and traditionalist. 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. More William-Adolphe Bouguereau

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