Bather in the Woods
In summer 1893 Pissarro wrote his son Lucien that he was planning a series of canvases of nude peasant women bathing, even though he foresaw difficulties in engaging models in rural Eragny. None were completed until 1894, and Pissarro continued to paint variations on the theme through 1896. This picture falls midway in the project. Pissarro’s approach reflects the continuing influence of divisionist technique, but more naturalistic tendencies emerge in his attempts to capture the delicate fall of light over the grassy bank and the woman's back. Her pose recurs in two studies of a clothed model painted the same year.
Artwork Details
- Title: Bather in the Woods
- Artist: Camille Pissarro (French, Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas 1830–1903 Paris)
- Date: 1895
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 23 3/4 x 28 3/4 in. (60.3 x 73 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
- Object Number: 29.100.126
- 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.