William Bouguereau

William Bouguereau (1825-1905), one of France's most influential academic painters, was the teacher of many students, first at the Académie Julian in Paris. He won the Prix de Rome in 1850 and, after his studies in Italy, established his reputation in Paris as a history painter, portraitist and church decorator in the 1850s and 1860s. He was elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1876 and remained an influential member for 30 years.

In this monograph devoted to the artist's life and work, a chapter is specifically dedicated to his portraits and hand studies, subjects that are representative of his ability to capture the subtleties of human emotion.