William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905) was a French academic artist who began his career at the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris with depictions of Classical myths and legends, but soon came into demand in France and the United States for portraiture and decorative works.

Although his work was ridiculed by contemporary artists such as Edgar Degas and Vincent van Gogh as overly finished and soft, Bouguereau was granted lavish praise during his lifetime, including multiple awards at the Salon de Paris.

"[1] Première rêverie, which measures 157.48 x 92.71 cm (62 x 36 1/2 in), features a young woman sitting on rock with a vase beneath her arm and a Cupid whispering into her ear.

The model for this painting, whose identity is unknown, also featured in Bouguereau's Boucles d'oreilles (1889–90), Le Travail interrompu (1891; Mead Art Museum), and Daphnis et Chloe.

[3] In late 1889, Gustave Doyen, with some input from the Bouguereau, completed a reduction of Première rêverie; this work, measuring 101 by 58 centimetres (40 in × 23 in), is now housed at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens.