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Breton Brother and Sister

1871
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 827
Based on sketches Bouguereau made while summering in Brittany in the late 1860s, this picture was completed in the artist’s studio in 1871. His young models, posed in traditional Breton costumes, epitomize the ideal of virtuous and attractive peasants living a simple life in close contact with nature. This type of scene was quickly snapped up by American collectors, earning Bouguereau fame and fortune. As one critic explained, "Whoever gets a picture by [him] gets the full worth of his money, in finished painting, first-rate drawing, and a subject and treatment that no well-bred person can … fault."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Breton Brother and Sister
  • Artist: William Bouguereau (French, La Rochelle 1825–1905 La Rochelle)
  • Date: 1871
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 50 7/8 x 35 1/8 in. (129.2 x 89.2 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Bequest of Catharine Lorillard Wolfe, 1887
  • Object Number: 87.15.32
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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Mignon Pensive, from "Illustrated London News", William Bouguereau French, Wood engraving
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August 17, 1872
Young Mother Gazing at Her Child, William Bouguereau French, Oil on canvas
Young Mother Gazing at Her Child
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The Proposal, William Bouguereau French, Oil on canvas
The Proposal
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