WILLIAM-ADOLPHE BOUGUEREAU: MASTERPIECES Art Book contains 250 HD reproductions of angels and cherubs, children, portraits, genre scenes, religious and mythical themes with gallery page for all images, biography and museum links. William-Adolphe Bouguereau was born in La Rochelle, France, on November 30, 1825. His family were olive oil and wine merchants, and at first it was assumed that he would follow into the family business. But when very young he displayed a strong talent for drawing, and his uncle Eugene, a curate, took it upon himself to provide young William (who did not use the name “Adolphe”) with an education including Latin, Greek history and mythology, and both Old and New Testament studies. He also arranged for William to attend high school, where he formally studied drawing for the first time, under the tutelage of Louis Sage.