The Young Bather
The traditional theme of women bathing attracted Courbet’s attention repeatedly in the 1860s. This scene revisits a motif that excited a furor of controversy when the artist first broached it a decade earlier: a realistically fleshy nude at water’s edge in a woodland setting. But by the time the present work was exhibited, viewers were more accepting of Courbet’s approach. One writer praised this "beautiful girl" dipping her toes in the water as "health itself, with an ample and plump silhouette . . . . One could not be more independent or more true."
Artwork Details
- Title: The Young Bather
- Artist: Gustave Courbet (French, Ornans 1819–1877 La Tour-de-Peilz)
- Date: 1866
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 51 1/4 x 38 1/4 in. (130.2 x 97.2 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
- Object Number: 29.100.124
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.