William-Adolphe Bouguereau was a 19th-century French painter known for traditional paintings of mythological figures and themes, typically emphasizing the naked female form. Although he was famous in his time, his work was eclipsed by the rise of the Impressionist movement in the latter part of the century. Bouguereau's work was characterized by an almost photographic level of realism, which he achieved by a meticulous method that followed a very specific sequence.
Croquis and Tracings
Bouguereau's first step was to make a preliminary thumbnail sketch, done in either pencil or ink, called a croquis. Sometimes these sketches were done from memory, while others were sketched from nature. As a postmortem examination of these sketches revealed, Bouguereau's ideas were constantly changing, and these croquis sketches continually evolved. These sketches were important for Bouguereau to determine the linear flow of objects within the composition as a whole. Bouguereau would typically refine the sketches by successively tracing over them as the composition evolved.
Grisaille and Oil Sketch
Bouguereau's next step was to produce a grisaille, a monochrome study of the entire composition done in vine charcoal. This would be followed by a rough oil sketch, which allowed him to determine the most appropriate color harmonies and determine where the light and dark areas of the painting would be. He usually did these from memory, resulting in a somewhat abstract melange of grays and colors.
Finished Drawings
Bouguereau would then produce detailed finished drawings of all the figures in the work, as well as studies of drapery, foliage and other details. These drawings represented a turning point in the painting as Bouguereau delineated such elements as figures' poses, perspectives and proportions. Bouguereau typically used live models for these drawings, which were done in pencil or charcoal.
Detailed Oil Studies
At this point, Bouguereau switched to painting with oil, painting meticulous oil studies of heads, hands, animals and other details within the composition. This was a key step in his process, leading to the exquisitely executed detail that characterized his work.
Cartoon
Bouguereau's final step before beginning work on the painting itself was to draw a full-size cartoon version of the entire painting, usually in vine charcoal. At this stage, Bouguereau would make adjustments in subjects' poses and contours. The cartoons focused on how shapes and lines were arranged in relation to each other within the overall composition. Bouguereau would then transfer this image onto the canvas, where it would serve as the template from which he would begin work on the finished product.
The Finished Painting
Bouguereau was a consummate perfectionist. Comparison of completed paintings with his preliminary sketches, drawings and studies demonstrates that, despite all this preparatory work, Bouguereau constantly made changes and adjustments before he continued a painting finally complete.
