Bathers (Baigneuses)

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

Rose-suffused tones pervade flesh and flora in Renoir's Arcadian paradise. Inspired by the perennial warmth and picturesque views of Cagnes-sur-mer, the artist painted a profusion of nudes, presented individually as well as in more complicated group scenes. These figures appear in a variety of poses—sitting, standing, reclining, drying off, undressing, sometimes fully exposed to the viewer and sometimes turning away. Their abundance of flesh evokes the fecundity of nature—a correlation which Renoir emphasized through the harmonious integration of the figures with their lush surroundings.

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