Paul Cézanne (1839–1906)
Around 1900–06
Watercolour and opaque watercolour over graphite on paper
25.7 x 41.9 cm
Acquired by Oskar Reinhart in 1925
The subject of the bathers had occupied Paul Cezanne since the mid-1870s, but it assumed a much greater prominence in his final years. This watercolour stands out among that later group of works for its richness and sense of energy.
A lush array of colours evokes the vibrant leaves of the trees and the grass around the figures, giving the feeling of every aspect of the scene being spirited and alive. The nude bodies are formed from areas of bare paper, their shapes indicated by blue and light brown outlines. On the margins of the sheet are colour trials or details of a composition that was cut when the sheet was trimmed.