The Three Bathers III (Les Trois Baigneuses III)
1923
Medium
etching [printed 1930-31 by Marcel Guiot]
Dimensions
plate: 17.8 x 12.9 cm (7 x 5 1/16 in.) sheet: 38 x 28 cm (14 15/16 x 11 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
The John U. and Evelyn S. Nef Collection
Accession Number
2011.60.44
Art Historical Context
**The Three Bathers (Les Trois Baigne III)**, created by Pablo Picasso in 3, captures the artist's pivot toward Neoclassicism after his Cubist innovations. During the 1920s, Picasso drew inspiration from classical antiquity and masters like Ingres, rendering graceful female figures in serene, harmonious compositions. This etching depicts three bathers in a poised, almost sculptural arrangement, evoking timeless themes of beauty and nature amid the post-World War I cultural shift toward order and tradition. Printed as an etching in 1930–31 by master printer Marcel Guiot, the work showcases Pic...
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...