William-Adolphe Bouguereau

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (Nov. 30, 1825 – Aug. 19, 1905) was a French academic traditionalist painter born in La Rochelle, France. Best known for his realistic genre paintings and mythological themes- he focused primarily on the female form. He was quite famous during his time, especially for his idealized world, but his technique and subject matter lost favor in the early 1900’s due to his staunch opposition to the Impressionists who were continuing to gain popularity. In retrospect, he received very little attention compared to that being shown to the impressionists, who's style was looser and less defining than traditional. However, throughout his life, his work was praised for following the styles of the old-masters. Bouguereau was considered to be one of the greatest painters in the world by the Academic art community; simultaneously, he was reviled by the avant-garde.