Have A Bouguereau Christmas!

December 25, 2009

Today our Joy is complete! The Savior is born!

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, ” which means “God is with us.” (Mathew 1:23)

La Vierge aux Anges - The Virgin with Angels

Above is The Virgin with Angels by William Adolphe Bougeureau (1825-1905). Below is a study for this piece.

Study for La Vierge aux Anges

It’s interesting to note the lack of detail in the study. That’s because he was using the study to develop his composition, work out design problems, analyze the flow of light and establish his value structure. He changed the direction of the light from the study to the finished painting. Bouguereau’s genius was stunning and his contribution to the historic advance of art nearly unparalleled. In fact, Bouguereau single- handedly opened the French academies to women.

La Vierge, L'Enfant Jesus et Saint Jean Baptiste

Above is another Bouguereau which, like all of the pics in this post, is courtesy of the Art Renewal Center. They have numerous examples of this artist’s work. Evident in the body of work they display is the artist’s growth over time. When you view his work on their site notice the dates and the overall look of the paintings. He reached full maturity in the 1890’s, when he was in his 60’s.

Before I close with another Bouguereau here is a fun fact about Christmas you may not know. Christ was born in “Bethlehem”. Bethlehem is a Hebrew word which means “city of bread”. Jesus was laid in a manger, which is an eating vessel for livestock. The significance of this symbolism becomes evident in the book of John, chapter 6, during what is called the Bread of Life discourse. Jesus said, “…I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (John 6:51) This teaching is central to most Christian traditions but none more so than the Catholic Tradition. Catholics believe that when they receive Holy Communion they are truly receiving the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ, under the appearance of bread and wine.