Bouguereau

Wissman did a great job providing a fair and balanced view of French painter Bouguereau's career. And it's a good thing too! Everything else related to the artist is either out of print or a flimsy postcard book. How could this be? Well, the unfortunate stereotype of Bougeureau buffs is that they "don't know much about art but know what they like." It may be that many editors assume that if you like Bougeureau's paintings, you aren't the type to read a serious art book. I like to believe this is wrong. I enjoy Bougureau's art very much and am glad that someone published a reasonable paperback history and criticism of the artist. I hope that one day, others write similarly good books about other "forgotten" 19th century artists.

You wouldn't be ordering this book if you didn't already love Bouguereau, so rest assured that the reproductions are top notch, especially for a fairly inexpensive paperback.

Had Bouguereau painted in an era that didn't coincide with the impressionists, knowledge of his work would no doubt be more widespread, and we'd be blessed with more retrospective art books. After searching for years, the Wissman book was a dream come true: something other than a calendar that contained more than five Bouguereau works. The presentation here was well thought out, with the paintings grouped by subject/theme, and the text therein describing chronologically the development of Bouguereau's work. I appreciated the link between the artist's life and the influence of other artists and the art world at the time. The artwork itself is wonderfully portrayed, colorful and true, in almost all cases, the exceptions being an occasional inconsistency in contrast or sharpness (probably due to less-than-ideal photographic conditions were the paintings are found). I also applaud the inclusion of dimensions and location/credit notes which accompany almost all of the paintings. The only way to improve upon this book would be to include even more of the artist's work, and make it larger.

I have been a fan of Bouguereau since seeing his gypsy shepherd girl in person at the San Diego Museum of Art many years ago. I searched in vain for this kind of book display of his art in museum gift shops and libraries. This author has not only picked some of Bouguereau's best works, but he also gives background information that allows the reader/viewer to understand the forces that created this French culture and art.

After reviewing and analzing such a wonderful work, I was very impressed with the author's research and development for the book. The book is well written and organized, and gives a wonderful timeline of what Bouguereau was like as a man and an artist. This book also has many of his pieces, including where the originals can be found. Many of the pictures are color, but some are black/white, which was a downfall. Even so, this is a must for all of Bouguereau's fans and a great coffee table book!