The Song of Angels

The Song of the Angels is one of the finest examples of William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s artwork in the United States. It debuted at the 1881 Paris Salon and was soon purchased by an American collector who was known for his love of French paintings. 

 

Bouguereau was a contemporary of French Impressionists, however his artwork is in the Academic Style that had become the standard amongst art schools and museums in Europe and the United States. He is renowned for the rich textures that he created on canvas, as seen in the flowing robes of the seated mother and the soft fleshiness of the infant in her arms. 

 

This painting has been a highlight of Forest Lawn’s art collection since it came to Glendale in 1940.