[Mr. Jeeves]

Bouguereau is awesome.

But once photography advanced to a certain level, the desire for photorealistic paintings naturally waned - except in the fantasy/sci-fi genre, where painting the impossible still mattered.

Modern Art is yet another Communist assault on Western Civilization, an attempt to sneer at standards by elevating garbage. But there is hope for a comeback, as right now they are all too busy sneering at Trump to bother much with painting :)

[babyfreep]

True. From the “45 Communist Goals as read into Congressional Record” -

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to “eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms.”
23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. “Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art.”

[x]

But once photography advanced to a certain level, the desire for photorealistic paintings naturally waned

Of course.

Once photography made realistic pictures common, painting had to change if it was going to survive.

Putting down all forms of modern art or abstract art means not distinguishing what's good and valuable in 20th century art from what really is junk.