Cézanne, Paul (1839-1906)
Baigneurs (Bathers)
1890–1892
Oil on canvas, 54.3 x 66 cm
Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis
A group of male bathers relaxes alongside a riverbank: all are nude with the exception of a single figure to the right who wears trunks. The scene was inspired by the artist’s memories of bathing as a young man in Provence in the south of France. In the distance is the peak of Mont Sainte-Victoire. Cézanne employs his method of repetitive faceted brushmarks, as in the pine tree to the left, and complementary color contrasts, as in the blue river alongside the orange riverbank. (SLAM)