The Nymphs and Satyrs of William-Adolphe Bouguereau

How a ‘scandalous’ French Romantic painting was bought by a murderer and became a nineteenth-century feminist emblem…

Romantic painting was popular throughout the Victorian era and tended to deal with mythical themes, death, transient beauty, and eroticism. Many artists, particularly the Decadents, pushed the boundaries of ‘decency’ and challenged the often hypocritical moral standing of a society that had blatant ‘double standards’ and vast class and gender divisions. It wasn’t uncommon for a society gent to visit the brothel on the way home from his club, but frown upon any hint of impropriety displayed by his wife.

Modesty demanded that a ‘lady’ covered her wrists and ankles in public and wore full-length, sleeved dresses with high collars. For wives, sex was purely for procreation, not their own pleasure, and — I won’t go into details here, but — even in the bedroom a couple may remain separated by specially designed sheets during ‘the act’. I mean, they even dressed the furniture in reception rooms because the glimpse of a table leg may prove too much for a young man to bear. To avoid inflaming such desires they were prepared to put up with the considerable fire risks!

So, it may come as no surprise that this, now famous, painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau shocked and scandalised society in its day. But not for the reasons one may assume…