William-Adolphe Bouguereau's Accomplishments

The works of art by William-Adolphe Bouguereau have become famously known for their avant-garde quality and subtle refinement. Being born La Rochelle in 1825, Bouguereau showed early on that he had great artistic talents, and although he had no real training in the field of artistry Bouguereau made up for this as the young artist attended anatomical dissections as he studied historical costumes. His attention to archeology this helped to build his credibility and land him clients. Bouguereau was one of the most influential painters in Paris during the 19th century, and during his own time working in the Academic art community, he was considered to be one of the greatest artists in the world gaining fame in Belgium, Holland, Spain and even in the United States. Bouguereau’s artistic licensing and style of painting the human form was admired by his peers, the techniques he employed showed his mastery of the anatomy. The Young Shepherdess, also known as Jeune Bergere, by Bouguereau only furthered his acclaim in the 19th century.

The details in the textiles and her clothing show Bouguereau’s appreciation of the culture and style of the time. Attention is paid close to the maiden’s hands and feet the artists influence from Raphael is displayed for all to see, although she does not display the classical stance of contrapposto, the shepherdess’s posture is not stiff and it gives a sense of reality and subtle motion to the vivid work. Atmospheric perspective lines the beautiful landscape, this can be seen through the hazy contours on the skyline behind her, yet bold colors the view can feel as if they, themselves, are standing in the field with the young girl. As it stands in the San Diego Museum of Art, The Young Shepherdess has intrigued viewers since its arrival in the late