Artwork
The Story Book
The Story Book is an oil painting by the Academic Art artist William Adolphe Bouguereau. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The Story Book depicts a young girl with blond hair seated while reading a book, her gaze directed toward the viewer.
The Story Book depicts a young girl with blond hair seated while reading a book, her gaze directed toward the viewer. The composition centers on the act of reading, capturing the child in a moment of quiet engagement with the text. Visual elements include the girl's blue attire, a visible décolletage, and draped fabric that frames her shoulders.
The work functions as an academic portrait that highlights the subject's interaction with the object, emphasizing themes of childhood and literacy through the specific inclusion of the book and the child's focused expression.
Technique & Style
Created in 1889, The Story Book is an oil painting executed on canvas by William-Adolphe Bouguereau. The work exemplifies the academic art movement through its precise handling and polished finish. The composition features a young girl with blond hair, dressed in a blue shirt with visible décolletage and drapery, seated while holding a book.
Her gaze is directed toward the viewer, creating an intimate connection within the portrait format. The painting measures 23.25 cm in height and 19 cm in width, presenting a focused study of the subject against a neutral background.
History & Provenance
The work was painted by William-Adolphe Bouguereau in 1889, a date aligned with the painting's academic style and subject matter. It has been held by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art since its acquisition, as documented in the museum's collection records, where it remains part of the permanent collection. While the museum houses the oil-on-canvas portrait depicting a young girl reading, the available sources do not specify a unique inventory or accession number for the piece, nor do they record any exhibition history.
Context
The Story Book, painted by William-Adolphe Bouguereau in 1889, exemplifies the academic portrait genre through its meticulous rendering of a young girl seated with a book, set within the conventions of 19th-century academic art. The work is part of the collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, reflecting Bouguereau's prominence within the academic art movement and his influence on portraiture of the period. Scholarly attention to the painting highlights its technical precision and thematic focus on innocence and contemplation, while its detailed depiction of fabric, hair, and gaze underscores Bouguereau's mastery of form and narrative.
Overview
Created in 1889, The Story Book is an oil painting by French academic artist William-Adolphe Bouguereau. The work portrays a young girl seated against a dark backdrop, her gaze directed toward the viewer as she holds an open, illustrated volume. The painting belongs to the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (French pronunciation:; 30 November 1825 – 19 August 1905) was a French academic painter.
