A staunch traditionalist and technical expert, William-Adolphe Bouguereau was lambasted by his Impressionist contemporaries. “Too competent,” they claimed, “Stuck in the past.” It’s an argument that has echoed down through the decades and the manifold curiosities of what we call ‘art’. One school places honour and prestige in time-tested tradition, while the other strives to push the boundaries of expression, always looking forward. But this French painter, active during the late 19th century, triumphed in his pursuit of realism, using archetypal mythological imagery of Greek and Roman heritage as a foothold to explore the human form, while also worshipping the innate beauty of women. Powerful priestesses dominate many of his Classical scenes as stirring glimpses of a Golden Age.
Latest curiosities
Horse Latitudes – Black Soil
May 25, 2013
Lurker Present: Bosse-De-Nage & Sump, London, May 3rd
Apr 7, 2013
Michael Bukowski & Yog-Blogsoth: The Illustro Obscurum Journals
Apr 4, 2013
Bootblacks : Narrowed
Mar 29, 2013
Endless Bliss: In conversation with Mories de Jong on Seirom
Mar 17, 2013
Asymmetry “Ashes Into Wood”
Mar 4, 2013
Clothes are music too
Mar 1, 2013
Dethroned Emperor: Obsessed by Speed & Death
Feb 28, 2013
FOLLOW US
9 comments
Doomed to Repeat says:
Dec 20, 2011
fuck yes! as an art history major, i support this post and all others like it x 1000
by the way, the cover for “fallen” was the only good thing about that record. and so many people hated it!
Richard says:
Dec 20, 2011
Good cover, good album.
dschalek says:
Dec 21, 2011
To me, this is a celebration of the female form ,unpolluted by modern society’s ideas of beauty; therefore, I find the artist’s subject matter disconnected from metal.
I do like the Burzum album, though.
Richard says:
Dec 21, 2011
Hence why I made no mention of it.
Rob//LURKERSPATH says:
Dec 21, 2011
There is a link, though. Both new-Burzum and Bouguereau received exactly the same criticism from their peers – ‘stuck in the past’. Maybe that’s what made VV identify with the painter.
Richard says:
Dec 21, 2011
It’s a good point but the cover of Fallen was not on my mind when I wrote this. I was reminded of him when doing a routine night of reading about Greco-Roman religion. One of his pieces accompanied an article about Nyx, or La Nuit, which is the painting of the woman in a black shroud.
Justin says:
Dec 21, 2011
It is wonderful to see this posted. Bouguereau is one of my favorite painters of his time. To be honest, I never really considered the “stuck in the past” Burzum-Bouguereau relationship. In my opinion, the criticism that either is “stuck in the past” is missing that both parties are drawing on what was purest about the past and redefining it for their own purposes. Whether it’s Varg’s “necro” sound, or Bouguereau’s celebration of classical painterly aesthetics and female beauty.
Doomed to Repeat says:
Dec 22, 2011
has a band used mengin’s sappho yet? ever see it? she’s just hangin’ out on the rocky bluffs of the island lesbos, lookin’ despondent, contemplating the brevity of life as she spaces out into the waves. it’s probably my favorite painting o.a.t. all the preraphaelite stuff rules, though.
here it is:
http://persephone.cps.unizar.es/~spd/Pre-Raphaelites/Big/Sappho.jpg
Richard says:
Dec 22, 2011
Incredible painting, thanks! I need to check out more of his stuff now. Nice blog by the way.