Nothing exemplifies art's turn toward tradition as much as the revived interest in William Adolphe Bouguereau, the 19th-century master of the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris. Modern critics are unreserved in their scorn for Bouguereau. But his work has risen sharply in value in recent years. Among the collectors of Bouguereau's work is actor Sylvester Stallone. Among Bouguereau's most enthusiastic admirers is collector and critic Fred Ross.
Modern art is art about art.
The revival of traditional art owes much to Boston painter R.H. Ives Gammell, who trained dozens of artists before his death in 1981. Mr. Gammell felt the need to pass along the tradition he had absorbed from his mentor, William Paxton, who had been a student of Jean Leon Gerome, who in turn studied under the French master Jacques Louis David. He took it upon himself to teach a handful of students at a time and worked with them from scratch. The hostility of art critics is a pet peeve of traditionalists. Though most people prefer traditional art, the opinions of critics prop up the reputation of modern art, he says.