Elizabeth Gardner Bouguereau: M. Bouguereau's Final Years

"By the Seashore"
by Elizabeth Gardner Bouguereau

"As the years advanced, William Adolphe Bouguereau became more dependent on Elizabeth. He had difficulty relinquishing responsibilities and duties and was particularly devoted to his students. In March 1903, at seventy-seven years of age and still active, there were no indications in Elizabeth's letters that his end was so near (August 19, 1905).

In fact, in April, a very exciting turn of events occurred, which took both William and Elizabeth to Italy. She spoke of this trip in a letter:

'You will be surprised to receive another letter from me so soon but as I have good news to tell I will not postpone writing. You have perhaps already seen in the papers that Monsieur Bouguereau has been raised to the dignity of Grand Officer in the Legion of Honor. It is a rank to which very, very few attain outside of Military Officers, for an Artist it is very rare.

The new decoration has been given on the occasion of the celebration of the centenary of the foundation of the French Academy at Rome, of which Bouguereau was a government pupil 50 years ago. The building is called the Villa Medicis... We were told that it is a duty for my husband to be present at the celebration. So we have decided to leave Paris on Tuesday, April 14th for Rome! I can hardly believe that I am actually to see Italy. I shall at least see a bit of it.

We shall not stop by the way but continue directly 30 hours to arrive on Wednesday for dinner. We travel under the best conditions possible accompanied by a younger Member of the Institut and his wife, who are very fond of us and will be tender prudent companions. So do not be anxious.'

As late as December, 1904, Bouguereau continued to be solicited, but although he was willing to help, he was not as strong as he used to be. Elizabeth wrote:

'He begins to feel the weight of years and walks with difficulty. Still all the pupils, friends and artistic societies who are accustomed to profit by his prudent advice persist in calling on him for constant services. I can spare him much fatigue and give all my time to his society.'

At the end of July 1905, he left the halls of the École des Beaux-Arts for the last time for La Rochelle, 'having discharged all the academic duties we had affectionately entrusted to him, he left for his old home town, bidding us all farewell. His handsome, grandfatherly face was veiled with melancholy. Perhaps he could already sense, with the lucidity that comes before the supreme hour, that his time of final rest was close.'"

To be continued

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