“Fishing for Frogs”
For today, something sweet…
“Fishing for Frogs” is a lovely oil on canvas painting by the French artist, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, from 1882. This is one of Bouguereau’s many portraits of peasant children done in the academic style which were very popular in France during the mid- to late nineteenth century.
In this painting, two young girls are sitting along the edge of the wall. They are dressed in peasant clothes. The older girl’s left arm is affectionately wrapped around the younger girl in a protective and loving way. The younger girl looks back at the older girl with affection. They hold a stick with a string on it resting in the water by their feet, evidently fishing for frogs. The scene is serene. Both girls are statuesque, with classical expressions and poses. The children are rendered with careful and extreme detail. The setting is outside, with hints of a structure and trees decorating the background. Bouguereau’s idealism and warmth of the children offset the crumbling wall and torn dress on one of the girls.
By the 1850s, Bouguereau had become extremely successful, admired by both critics and the public alike. He had a talent for retaining the likeness of the sitter while beautifying and idealizing them. As such, he was a popular painter. His paintings were a modern representation of classical and mythological subjects, making his figures seem timeless. There was a period of time when he was the most famous living French artist.
Bouguereau painted this piece when he was 57 and already firmly established in the art world. In the 1880s, the academic style was still a prominent force, though more modern avant-garde artists, such as Edgar Degas and Claude Monet, had moved on to different art styles. Bouguereau created a series of paintings of peasant children which were readily purchased, often before the paintings were completed. See also, “At the Edge of the Brook”.
“Fishing for Frogs” sold in 2012 for an incredible amount of $1.76 million. It is currently in a private collection.
For more on William-Adolphe Bouguereau, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
