Four Bathers

Four Bathers is a complex print created by the renowned Impressionist Camille Pissarro in 1895. This evocative image, classified technically as a print, utilizes the intricate processes of etching and drypoint executed on soft wove paper. Although the design dates to the height of Pissarro’s graphic experimentation, this specific impression is designated as the second state of two, notably printed posthumously after the artist’s death.

The subject of female nudes engaged in bathing was a recurring motif for many late nineteenth-century artists seeking to reconcile academic traditions of the nude figure with observations of modern life. Pissarro approached this theme not through mythological narratives, but by depicting the intimate, unidealized actions of women in a natural setting. Here, four female figures are shown by the water's edge, engaged in washing or preparing to enter the stream. This piece reflects Pissarro's characteristic concern for rural domesticity and the harmony of the human figure within the natural environment, hallmarks of his artistic output during this period.

Unlike some of his oil paintings, this particular print medium allowed Pissarro to explore line and texture with granular precision. The technical complexity of the etching and drypoint processes enhances the atmospheric quality of the scene. As a significant example of his graphic output, the artwork, sometimes referred to internally as Four Bathers, resides within the extensive collection of prints and drawings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This piece, dating from a fertile period in Pissarro’s career, contributes valuable insight into the Impressionist master's nuanced treatment of the human form and the practice of preparing public domain works for research.