The Bath (Le bain)
1905, published 1913
Medium
drypoint on wove Van Gelder paper
Dimensions
sheet: 65.4 x 51 cm (25 3/4 x 20 1/16 in.) plate: 34.2 x 28.7 cm (13 7/16 x 11 5/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
The John U. and Evelyn S. Nef Collection
Accession Number
2011.60.59
Art Historical Context
**The Bath (Le bain)** a striking drypoint print by Pablo Picasso from 1905 (published in 1913), captures artist's early mastery of intaglio techniques on wove Van Gelder. Measuring 65.4 x 51 cm overall, with a plate size of 34.2 x 28.7 cm, this work hails from Picasso's transitional phase between his melancholic Blue Period and the hues of his Rose Period. Created in Paris amid his evolving exploration of form and emotion, it reflects the intimate, everyday subjects that intrigued the young Spaniard as he navigated the vibrant Montmartre art scene. Drypoint, Picasso's chosen medium here, inv...
About the Artist
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), born Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso in Málaga, Spain, was the son of José Ruiz Blasco, a painter and art professor who served as his first teacher. From age seven, Picasso trained under his father in figure drawing and oil painting, mastering naturalistic techniques by copying mas...