The Elder Sister
William-Adolphe Bouguereau · 1869
Why it's great
A teenage girl with a baby on her lap smiles in a green meadow. Bouguereau's soft-focus style was widely loved. The baby plays with her hair. It's a tender picture of family.
Where to see it
📍 Museum of Fine Arts, HoustonHouston, United States
Open in Maps ↗Hang it on your wall
Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
William-Adolphe Bouguereau was born in La Rochelle, on France's Atlantic coast, and studied in Paris and Rome. He became the most celebrated painter of the French Academy, famous for smooth, glowing figures from myths and everyday life. He taught thousands of students. When Impressionism rose, he fell from fashion, but his technical skill is again widely admired.
