Elizabeth Gardner Bouguereau: The Bouguereau Enterprise

"Bubbles"
by Elizabeth Gardner Bouguereau

In marrying William Adolphe Bouguereau, Elizabeth Gardner had knowingly - and willingly - laid aside her own brush. This decision was so important to both of them that it had been one of the factors that had led to the extraordinary length of their 17-year engagement. As she pointed out in a letter to her brother a few months before her marriage:

'Formerly I was not willing to sacrifice any part of my devotion to the Art in which I was so ambitious to succeed and which I loved above everything else. Now, that ambition has been satisfied beyond my hopes. I have made myself known on both sides of the ocean... I have not made a fortune, business is much more difficult than before, my eyes are delicate. I am glad to know that I shall work only when I feel like it.'

Furthermore, she greatly admired Bouguereau's work. His status as an artist far surpassed hers. It is clear, though, from her correspondence that Bouguereau never tried to persuade her in her choice, and neither did he protest once it was made. 

Managing both the Bouguereau household and his business enterprise became a full-time occupation for Elizabeth, which she accomplished both in French and in English. She wrote: 

'I have a small house for a large family, and six servants to direct. My husband's position brings him constant callers, business letters, etc. etc. I love to work and am so glad to assume many responsibilities which would otherwise disturb him.' 

What had an impact on their lives more than social obligations were Bouguereau's duties as a public figure. His notoriety brought new experiences to Elizabeth's life which both artists seemed to appreciate, illustrated by this example:

'We have been for ten days on the western coast of France. First at La Roche-sur-Yon where a monument to a famous French artist - Paul Baudry - was unveiled. The committee wished M. Bouguereau to pronounce the inaugural address, and he consented. As the President of the Republic, with a crowd of dignitaries were present, and my husband was a guest of honor, and wore his handsome costume of Member of the Institute, and as he as well as the President wished me to be present, it was one of the proudest weeks of my life... From there we went to La Rochelle where the President came also for an official visit. We illuminated our house and did all I could. This event took all my time and strength for a month, hence I have been slow in writing.'

Elizabeth's new functions allowed Bouguereau to devote more time to painting in his studio. Thus, her organizational skills, allowed the ageing artist to maintain a level of productivity that would have, otherwise, been impossible (i.e. an average of ten finished paintings per year for 1896/97/98)."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Elizabeth Jane Gardner: Her Life, Her Work, Her Letters," MA Thesis by Charles Pearo, McGill University, 1997.)