Collection: Elizabeth Jane Gardner Bouguereau

Elizabeth Jane Gardner Bouguereau (1837–1922) was an American academic and salon painter, born in Exeter, New Hampshire. She lived as an expatriate in Paris for most of her life, studying under Hugues Merle, Jules Joseph Lefebvre, and William-Adolphe Bouguereau. In 1896, she married Bouguereau.

Gardner adopted Bouguereau's subjects, compositions, and smooth facture, channeling his style so successfully that her work could be mistaken for his. She stated, "I would rather be known as the best imitator of Bouguereau than be nobody!"

Gardner achieved significant recognition at the Paris Salon, becoming the first American woman to exhibit there in 1866. She participated in the Salon twenty-five times and was the first woman to receive a gold medal in 1877.