After the Bath

In 1894, Bouguereau created the painting Après le Bain or ‘After the Bath’ to use its translated title. It was not the first time that Bouguereau had given one of his works this title.

He used the title for a similar picture he produced in 1875. His 1894 painting is an oil on canvas picture that measures approximately 152 cm x 89 cm. The painting is not on public display. It is part of a private collection.

Bouguereau’s painting ‘After the Bath’ shows us a lifelike image of a semi-nude young woman. The picture of the young woman dominates most of the picture.

She is enjoying the privacy of the isolated beach after her bath. We can see her resting against a tree while drying herself off after her bath.

From the way that she rests her back against the tree, we cannot see all of her face. Her long brown hair runs down her naked back. On the ground, we can see one of her sandals. In her hand, she is slipping the other sandal on to her left foot. At her waist, her white dress hangs loose.

Bouguereau’s many works show us his ideal world. Like his painting ‘After the Bath’, his paintings appear like a photo in their style. His academic style of painting brought both historical and mythological themes to the forefront.

In his works, he produced many that showed the female human form. Many of the figures we see in his works are carefully posed. The arrangement of subjects in his pictures links them together in a way that is balanced. When you view his works of the female form, you get the idea that they are both a beautiful and accurate rendition.

The French artist William Bouguereau was an academic painter and traditionalist.

He was well known for his production of genre paintings and mythological figures. In many his paintings, his subject was often female.

Towards the end of his career, one of his notable paintings was an almost realistic picture of a female subject that he titled ‘After the Bath’.