Like Bonnat, many contemporary artists are struggling with the combination of the Classical Tradition ad Realism in their work. The former emphasizes the ideal and the latter the real, often with particular emphasis on imperfection. I think that so-called “Classical Realists” would do well to look at the work of Bonnat, who combined a love of Ingres with a reverence for Ribera. They would benefit more looking at his paintings than from William-Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825-1905), for example, who was a strict Classicist.

Read the PostLéon Bonnat (French, 1833-1922): The First Classical Realist?