Musée d’Orsay · 1879
The Birth of Venus
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Bouguereau paints myth with flawless, almost photographic finish, showing what official 19th-century taste prized just as Impressionism was starting to reject it.
Why it matters
Bouguereau paints myth with flawless, almost photographic finish, showing what official 19th-century taste prized just as Impressionism was starting to reject it.
Look closer
Look closely at the skin — the brushwork is deliberately invisible, the opposite choice from the Impressionist rooms nearby.
A prime example of the polished academic style that dominated official Salons before Impressionism overturned it.
Value context
ELYIO places this work in an indicative editorial context of €3.5–8 million.
The museum work is not for sale. This is ELYIO indicative context—not an appraisal, insurance value or offer.