Elizabeth Gardner Bouguereau: The Study of Animals

"The Shepherd David"
by Elizabeth Gardner Bouguereau

"In 1867, spurred by a desire to improve on her painting of animals, Elizabeth Gardner enrolled in classes at the Jardin des Plantes where Antoine Barye, the well-known animal sculptor, was director. She recalls the training:

'I realized that the animals in my composition were very inferior to Rosa Bonheur's and I at once joined at the Jardin des Plantes the class for animal drawing from skeleton and plaster. This class was directed by the great Barye, many of whose bronzes are owned in America. I found the work rather tame, and, longing to study from living animals, I drew an outline from a fine African greyhound which belonged to me, and indicated the skeleton of the dog inside. Barye was so pleased with my enterprise that he ever after took a most paternal interest in my work.'

To illustrate the great lengths to which artists sometimes went to sketch from life, McCabe relates the story of the painting of the lion in 'Gardner's 'David, berger [shepherd],' as told to her by the artist:

'A lion in a travelling circus was the model... 'The lion was ill and asleep,' said Madame Bouguereau, 'when I asked permission of the circus proprietor to sketch it. Its position was just what I wanted; but the proprietor, having himself no use for a lion not in action, was loath to understnad. When I secured his reluctant permission I set to work; but before the study was completed, the lion died. Not to be outwitted, I bought the body and carted it home to my studio where the picture was finished.'

To be continued

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