Bathing Woman, 1896/97

This atmospheric sketch shows a bathing woman against a rocky backdrop. Looking down on the refreshing water, the depicted sounds out the pictorial space with outstretched arms. The light flesh-colored tones and isolated reflections of light on the body and water stand in highly effective contrast to the dark background. The Austrian painter Josef Engelhart (1864–1941) was a co-founder of the Vienna Secession in 1897 and a leading figure of Vienna’s art scene around 1900. An extended stay in Paris in 1891/92 provided him with new inspiration in terms of painting technique and motifs, such as this fresh and lively nature scene. Engelhart captured it with short, powerful and swiftly placed brushstrokes. The pastose paint application on the surface emphasizes the depiction’s sense of animation. This study served as a draft for the motif’s realization in a larger format, titled Forest Lake Bather, which is kept today at the Wien Museum.

AK, 2023