William Bouguereau

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825, 1905) was a French academic painter celebrated for his technically masterful and idealised depictions of the human figure, mythology, and religious subjects. A dominant force at the Paris Salon, he achieved enormous commercial success during his lifetime, commanding record prices from wealthy American and European collectors. His work fell out of critical favour with the rise of Impressionism but has experienced a major reappraisal, with his canvases now fetching millions at major auction houses including Christie's and Sotheby's.