Tobias Receives his Father's Blessing - William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Archival giclée
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Description
A refined Academic painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, depicting the biblical scene of Tobias receiving a blessing before his journey.
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, a central figure of the French Academic tradition, painted this work in 1860. It depicts a narrative from the Book of Tobit, wherein the young Tobias prepares to depart on a journey, receiving a final blessing from his father, Tobit. The composition is structured around the central figure of the father, whose hands are extended in a gesture of benediction over his son. To the left, the Archangel Raphael stands as a guide, his presence marked by a calm, ethereal quality that contrasts with the emotional weight of the family farewell. Bouguereau employs a highly polished technique, characteristic of the École des Beaux-Arts. The figures are rendered with anatomical precision, and the drapery is handled with a focus on volume and texture. The colour palette is restrained, relying on earthy tones for the garments, which allows the focus to remain on the interaction between the figures. The lighting is soft, creating a sense of quiet solemnity appropriate for the subject matter. The figure of the mother, positioned to the right, is shown with her face covered, conveying a sense of grief or apprehension regarding her son's departure. This work demonstrates the artist's ability to manage complex multi-figure compositions while maintaining a clear narrative focus. The smooth finish and attention to detail reflect the rigorous training and technical standards of the mid-nineteenth-century French art establishment, which prioritised clarity, balance, and the mastery of the human form.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Tobias Receives his Father's Blessing - William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Artist Biography
William Adolphe Bouguereau
At the height of his career he was arguably the most commercially successful painter alive. His large-scale nudes, classical mythological scenes, and religious paintings were technically flawless in a way that impressed collectors and enraged the avant-garde in equal measure. The Impressionists despised him as the embodiment of everything academic painting did wrong: slick, idealised, emotionally vacant. After his death in 1905, the avant-garde buried his reputation for nearly a century.
Three of his children died in infancy. Their mother Nelly died in 1877. His mother made him swear, after Nelly's death, never to remarry while she lived. He honoured the oath. His engagement to his student Elizabeth Jane Gardner lasted seventeen years. They married in 1896, after his mother died at ninety-one. Gardner was herself a notable painter, the first American woman to exhibit at the Paris Salon. His reputation has undergone a reappraisal since the late twentieth century.
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Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
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- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
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Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
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Artist Biography
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
At the height of his career he was arguably the most commercially successful painter alive. His large-scale nudes, classical mythological scenes, and religious paintings were technically flawless in a way that impressed collectors and enraged the avant-garde in equal measure. The Impressionists despised him as the embodiment of everything academic painting did wrong: slick, idealised, emotionally vacant. After his death in 1905, the avant-garde buried his reputation for nearly a century.
Three of his children died in infancy. Their mother Nelly died in 1877. His mother made him swear, after Nelly's death, never to remarry while she lived. He honoured the oath. His engagement to his student Elizabeth Jane Gardner lasted seventeen years. They married in 1896, after his mother died at ninety-one. Gardner was herself a notable painter, the first American woman to exhibit at the Paris Salon. His reputation has undergone a reappraisal since the late twentieth century.
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