Two human figures stand, one facing backwards and the other sideways. Around them are others, crouching in three directions: backwards, left, and right. In the center of the circle formed by the five people there is a torso apparently submerged in water to the waist. And this whole apparent showcase of poses is framed by a beautiful arch of tree branches.
From the 1870s onwards Paul Cézanne experimented repeatedly with arrangements of nudes in enormous paintings of bathers. And yet, the rippling contours of the bodies and the light touch of the foliage suggest he was equally interested in capturing nature, with its subtle shifts in wind and light. In this way, the paintings represent a fusion of formal classical composition with naturalism learned from the Impressionists. This fusion was the final form of painterly expression he pursued in his later years.
(SAKAMOTO Kyoko)
Two human figures stand, one facing backwards and the other sideways. Around them are others, crouching in three directions: backwards, left, and right. In the center of the circle formed by the five people there is a torso apparently submerged in water to the waist. And this whole apparent showcase of poses is framed by a beautiful arch of tree branches.
From the 1870s onwards Paul Cézanne experimented repeatedly with arrangements of nudes in enormous paintings of bathers. And yet, the rippling contours of the bodies and the light touch of the foliage suggest he was equally interested in capturing nature, with its subtle shifts in wind and light. In this way, the paintings represent a fusion of formal classical composition with naturalism learned from the Impressionists. This fusion was the final form of painterly expression he pursued in his later years.
(SAKAMOTO Kyoko)