Le Chant du Rossignol (The Song of the Nightengale)

About the Art

Bouguereau was a prominent academic artist admired for his carefully drawn and composed figures with convincing illusionism. This work is typical of Bouguereau’s highly finished style. He often painted images of attractive, bare-foot working-class children and young women. Here, the young woman tilts her head to listen to the chirping of a nightingale perched on a tree branch behind her shoulder.

From 1849 until his death in 1905, Bouguereau exhibited regularly at the annual Salon. In 1876 he was elected a member of both the Legion d’Honneur and the Institut de France, confirming his high standing among the conservative artistic establishment.

FEATURED IMAGE
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825–1905), Le Chant du Rossignol (The Song of the Nightengale), about 1895, oil on canvas, 55 x 35 inches (139.7 x 88.9 cm). Gift of Mr. Robert Badenhop, 1954.12