Bouguereau Paintings
1825 - 1905 France, Academic Classicism
Le crabe [The Crab], 1869
Oil on canvas, 31 7/8 x 25 3/4 inches (81 x 65.5 cm)
Private collection Figurative Art
It is easy to understand why, in his day, William Adolphe Bouguereau's art was so appealing and popular. There can be no denying the artist's consummate skill as a painter; Bouguereau's Academic style favors care and perfection in drawing, anatomy, and execution. His colors are usually cool and soothing, his lighting is soft yet clear, and the surface of his paintings are flawlessly smooth. Like the Art Institute's painting, Bouguereau's most popular paintings are of humble people, especially women and children, caught in moments of quiet reflection or casual, innocent diversion. Here a simple peasant girl, playing with a crab - a personification of innocence itself - presumably in thought, with eyes diverted from the viewer and her thoughts.