The Bath

Description

This drawing relates to Félix Bracquemond’s interest in integrating various artistic techniques, a practice that became increasingly common around 1900. With a range of black and white media, the artist depicted a nude in a forest pool. Faint gridding was used to transfer the image either to or from a similar enamel and a print. An important part of this working process, the drawing was included in both of the major exhibitions of Bracquemond’s oeuvre during his life. From one of these displays, in 1907, Bracquemond sold it to Parisian collector Alfred Beurdeley, who acquired hundreds of drawings with the aim of representing the art of his time.

Provenance

Alfred Beurdeley [1847-1919, Lugt 421], Paris (by 1907-1919); (his ninth sale, November 30 and December 2, 1920, no. 50, sold to Boutet) (1920); Boutet (1920-?); Noah Butkin [1918-1980], Shaker Heights, OH, bequeathed to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (by 1979-1980); Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1980-)

The Bath

Félix Bracquemond

c. 1900

Accession Number

1980.240

Medium

brush and black and brown wash with pen and black ink, black chalk, and charcoal, heightened with white chalk, on brown wove paper laid on yellow-beige wove paper

Dimensions

Sheet: 59 x 44 cm (23 1/4 x 17 5/16 in.)

Classification

Drawing

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Bequest of Noah L. Butkin