Quadriptych Collection by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

This exceptional decorative set belongs to the tradition of great mythological allegories of nineteenth-century French academic art in Paris. Through this sumptuous work temporarily titled “Quadriptych Collection”, the artist displays a suite of aerial figures personifying the daily cycle. The virtuoso painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau unites here four harmonious compositions to illustrate the continuous transition from light to darkness through idealized female representations.

Four distinct vertical panels present beautiful nude or draped women floating with supernatural grace in the air. The first panel shows a woman draped in white rising near large green leaves. The second shows a nude figure in a bright azure sky, surrounded by birds in full flight. The third panel shows a woman draped in dark blue gliding above the ocean under a thin crescent moon. The fourth panel shows a woman veiled in black gliding through the starry night with a bird of prey flying near her. The slender bodies draw elegant and fluid lines. Each allegorical figure possesses a highly unique expression and pose.

The artist demonstrates a first-rate craftsmanship in the subtle rendering of the veil transparencies and the pearly clarity of the flesh. The delicacy of the chromatic harmonies of each panel testifies to his perfect mastery of oil painting on canvas.