The Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Fla. will be holding an exhibition titled Bouguereau’s Fancies: Allegorical and Mythological Works by the French Master which will be open from Jan. 27–April 19, 2015.
Bouguereau’s ‘Fancies’ will exhibit, among other works, three versions of the artist’s famous painting, “Jeune fille se defendant contre l’amour” (young girl defending herself against love): the original life size version, the reduction, and a fully worked out drawing. Although the Flagler is the organizing museum, it will also include works from the Appleton Museum of Art; the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Jacksonville; Dahesh Museum of Art, New York; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Frye Art Museum, Seattle; the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens; University of Michigan Museum of Art; and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
During the latter half of the 19th Century, William Bouguereau (1825–1905) was the most well-known artist in all of France and his fame extended across Europe and America. He was a known fighter for justice and donated considerable amounts of time to help the poor and the misfortunate. He won almost every honor, award and accolade available to a French painter, starting with the Prix de Rome in 1850. He became a professor at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in 1875, and was one of the longest serving members of the Institute starting in 1876 till his death in 1905.
In 1885 Bouguereau served as President of the Institute presiding over all five of the academies. In this same year Bouguereau was elected president of the benevolent association founded by Baron Taylor, whose goal was to accumulate funds to help support less-fortunate artists and their families. At the funeral of Victor Hugo, the most beloved poet and writer in France, Bouguereau was chosen to give the graveside eulogy as he was as beloved for painting as Hugo was for literature. He was one of the head instructors at the Academy Julian and became the President of the Société des Artistes Français. He was a jury member for the Exposition Universalles of 1889 and 1900 and finally Grand Officer in the Légion d'Honneur in 1903.
