Five Bathers
circa 1879-1882
Paul Cézanne was absolutely obsessed with bathers, sketching and painting them throughout his life as he searched for the perfect balance between human figures and nature. This specific drawing, marked with a grid of lines, gives us a peek into his workshop—it was likely a study used to transfer the composition onto a larger canvas. You can already see his signature Post-Impressionist style taking shape, where the nude women feel almost as solid and structural as the trees around them. These very studies laid the groundwork for modern art, heavily influencing giants like Picasso and Matisse.
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