The Goose Girl

A conservative and meticulous painter, William Bouguereau grew up in rural France where he developed a lifelong appreciation for the countryside. From 1843 to 1850 he attended the École des Beaux Arts in Paris and won the Prix de Rome in 1850. For many years a stalwart of the Paris Salon, he was awarded medals of honor in 1878 and 1885. But by the beginning of the twentieth century, his beautifully finished style of painting fell out of favor, obscured by the popularity of the impressionists—artists he loathed. It is only been relatively recently that there has been a revival of interest in his figure painting.Revered and emulated in academic circles during his lifetime, Bouguereau was the quintessential artist of the nineteenth century, creating paintings focusing on traditional imagery: religious, mythological, and scenes of peasant life were his staple. In “The Goose Girl,” the rosy-cheeked young lady smiles coquettishly over her right shoulder at the viewer, enjoying herself, her freedom in nature, and the beautiful day, as she tends her flock of white geese. Such paintings of feminine innocence appealed to collectors and throughout Bouguereau’s life, wealthy collectors sought out such images to grace their homes. One such collector, Mrs. George Frederick [Agnes Jackson] Cornell, wife of a cousin of Ezra Cornell, purchased this painting from the artist’s studio, soon after it was painted. (Nancy E. Green, “A Handbook of the Collections,” 2018)