Image: Curator Christopher Riopelle looking at 'Bathers (Les Grandes Baigneuses)' in the Conservation studio.
Why did Cezanne change his mind when painting ‘Bathers’?
Seeing ‘Bathers’ without its frame, raises both insights and questions about this large scale work from the end of Cezanne’s career.
Join curator Christopher Riopelle and conservator Paul Ackroyd as they discuss Cezanne's work and the reasons behind his changes to the original composition of ‘Bathers', including why he folded over a section of the canvas at the top of the painting.
This large painting is one of three pictures of female bathers that Cezanne worked on during the final decade of his life, before his death in 1906. It was acquired in 1964 through the great efforts of Henry Moore, who was the Artist Trustee at that time.
The recent conservation work focused on cleaning the painting but also revealed a surprising discovery of French newspaper cuttings along the side of the canvas from a previous relining treatment. Now, the painting is ready for display in its new frame.
Funding for the conservation of Paul Cezanne’s ‘Bathers (Les Grandes Baigneuses)’ (about 1894-1905) was generously provided through a grant from the Bank of America Art Conservation Project.
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