Bouguereau has painted an Egyptian peasant girl using his characteristic highly finished, almost illusionistic technique. He was better known for his portrayal of peasant life in the French countryside and he never visited Egypt.

Details such as the silver jewellery and the ruins glimpsed in the background were based upon artefacts and artistic sources. Readily available publications and prints, developments in archaeology, and Western museums’ expanding Egyptology collections, fuelled a fascination with Egypt in the second half of the 19th century.

Provenance: Gift from Colin D. Currie, 1953

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne & Wear
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905)
Date: 1876

Image Details
Date: 6 March 2025
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Wide Camera 26mm ƒ/1.8
Focal Length: 26mm
Aperture: ƒ/1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/28s
ISO: 500
Licensing: Image of a North East Museums asset. This image cannot be licensed.