Name: Study in Oil for "Nymphs and Satyr"
Brand: William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Rating: 5 (2 reviews)

Study in Oil for "Nymphs and Satyr"

View Similar Items

Sirio Pellegrini - Portrait - Paint by Sirio Pellegrini - 1974

Sirio Pellegrini - Grazing Animals in Manziana - Paint by Sirio Pellegrini - 1969

Sirio Pellegrini - Young Girl - Paint by Sirio Pellegrini - 1960s

Sirio Pellegrini - Still Life - Paint by Sirio Pellegrini - 1968

Sirio Pellegrini - Earthly Paradise - Paint by Sirio Pellegrini - 1960s

Sirio Pellegrini - View of Capestrano - Paint by Sirio Pellegrini - 1970s

Sirio Pellegrini - Portrait - Paint by Sirio Pellegrini - 1960s

Marco Fariello - Testa della dea bendata - Oil Paint by Marco Fariello - 2025

Sirio Pellegrini - View of Rome from Gianicolo - Paint by Sirio Pellegrini - 1970

Marco Fariello - La pietra è l'uomo - Oil Paint by Marco Fariello - 2025

Sirio Pellegrini - Nudes on the Beach - Paint by Sirio Pellegrini - 1961

Lucien Mathelin - Lucien Mathelin (1905-1981), Self-portrait, 1925, oil on canvas mounted on panel

About the Item

Oil on canvas / 21 × 19 in. / Date of Creation: c. 1873 This exquisite study of the male form masterfully reflects the artist's ability to render human anatomy, as well as the fall of light as it highlights and extenuates the musculature and movement of the body. This study in paint, by French artist William Adolphe Bouguereau (1825 – 1905), was made for his "Nymphs and Satyr" painting of 1873; it focuses on the dynamic movement and subtle nuances of the human figure, before the Satyr elements of the figure have been added. A satyr is a creature also from Greek mythology having the torso and face of a man, ears and tail of a horse, and feet of a goat. They are known for being lustful and fertile creatures. Bouguereau captures an incredible sense of motion in the final painting, as the Satyr struggles to keep his ground, and the Nymphs' joyous struggle to pull him in, which is evident in this early study. A staunch traditionalist and academic artist, Bouguereau made countless studies throughout his creative process before working up a painting. Using a variety of mediums, including detailed pencil studies and oil sketches, this careful method resulted in an accurate rendering of the human form. Bouguereau's works consistently depicted genre scenes and mythological themes, which were modern interpretations of Classical subjects, both pagan and Christian, with a concentration on the naked human figure. Bouguereau began his career at the in the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, before studying in the studio of François-Édouard Picot, where he studied painting in the academic style. In 1851 he won the Grand Prix de Rome at the age of twenty-six. Bouguereau continued to win several accolades and awards throughout his career, and steadily gained the honours of the Academy, reaching Life Member in 1876, and Commander of the Legion of Honor and Grand Medal of Honor in 1885. This oil study was acquired from the estate of Bouguereau's good friend and pupil, Charles Amable Lenoir. (See included photo of Lenoir's studio.) Nymphs and Satyr (French: Nymphes et un satyre) is a painting, oil on canvas, created by artist William-Adolphe Bouguereau in 1873. Nymphs and Satyr was exhibited in Paris at the 1873 Salon, which opened on 5 May, a year before the Impressionists mounted their first exhibition. One critic called it "the greatest painting of our generation". Purchased for 35,000 francs by the American art collector and speculator John Wolfe on 26 June, 1873, it was displayed in his mansion for many years alongside other high-style French academic paintings. It was sold at auction in 1888, after which the painting was displayed in the bar of the Hoffman House Hotel, New York City until 1901, when it was bought and stored in a warehouse, the buyer hoping to keep its 'offensive' content from the public. Robert Sterling Clark discovered the piece in storage and acquired it in 1942. The piece is currently on display at the Clark Art Institute located in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Creator:
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825 - 1905, French)
Creation Year:
c. 1873
Dimensions:
Height: 40.5 in (102.87 cm)Width: 38 in (96.52 cm)
Medium:
Oil
Period:
1870-1879
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Salt Lake City, UT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU139526687742