Love's Resistance

Love's Resistance is a drawing by William-Adolphe Bouguereau that is very typical of his ouevre

A young lady plays with a cupid in a combination of mythological scene with touches of more modern art techniques, which can be seen throughout this artist's career. You will find endless depictions of beautiful young women and girls in his figurative portrait scenes.

This artwork would have taken quite some time because of the detail that he adds right across the paper, giving attention far beyond just to the two figures. There is plenty of foliage to be found here as he created a scene of calm and beauty. You will also see waves from the sea lapping at the shore in the left hand side, adding further to this atmosphere.

The inclusion of the weeds in the foreground suggest that this was not from someone's garden but somewhere a little more wild. The main focus of the drawing is the eye contact between the two figures, suggesting a playful and happy seen which is typical of Bouguereau.

The nudity found here has no sexual connotation, and is purely about innocence and youth. You will find this throughout the history of art, such as in the Renaissance and also more recently in the Pre-Raphaelite work of Waterhouse, Burne-Jones and Millais.

This drawing is one of the best examples of Bouguereau's work in this medium, with so little attributed work still left. Much of his other drawings are more simple where as this is a highly detailed piece which stands as an artwork in its own right, and not just a study piece for something else.