File:Bouguereau, William-Adolphe, Woman with Iris, 1895.jpg

English: Among the most successful academic painters of the late nineteenth century, Bouguereau received numerous official honors from the French state. His ethereal, gently erotic scenes featuring peasant girls and pretty maidens were prized by both European and American collectors. Patrons were also drawn to his brilliant craftsmanship and to the porcelain-like finish of his canvases—what Bouguereau himself called "the kind of beautiful and impeccable enamel you find in Veronese or Titian." What was left unsaid was his effort to rival photography’s ability to capture a moment, which Bouguereau sought to emulate and surpass.