But by the early 20th century, Bouguereau was dismissed as nothing more than sentimental Victoriana.

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Today is a different story, and Bouguereau's popularity has come roaring back.

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Curators refused to show his work, and over the years, many museums de-accessioned Bouguereau and other academic painters to acquire more "progressive" art.

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The female model that Bouguereau painted so impressed the American artist Louis Comfort Tiffany that he used her as the subject of one of his most famous glass windows.

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