Group of Bathers

Group of Bathers, executed by Camille Pissarro in 1897, showcases the artist’s dedicated exploration of the print medium late in his career. Classified as a lithograph, the technique employs chine collé, a specialized process where a thin, delicate layer of paper is adhered to a heavier backing sheet during printing. This method allowed Pissarro to achieve rich textural variations and deep tonal effects characteristic of the work. Unlike his purely Impressionist canvases focused on fleeting light, Pissarro often utilized prints to explore more monumental forms and classical compositions, prioritizing the solidity of the human figure.

The subject matter centers on a timeless classical theme: groups of female nudes engaged in bathing and repose. Pissarro elevates the common activity of bathing into a scene of intimate, yet robust, physical presence, reflecting an ongoing dialogue among late 19th-century artists regarding the idealization of the figure in nature. While his contemporaries often focused on modern life, Pissarro consistently revisited traditional themes of rural life and labor, including the nude figure in these serene settings. This specific impression of Group of Bathers is cataloged as the only state of the design and represents a significant example of Pissarro’s graphic output in the medium of lithography. This important piece remains part of the extensive collection of prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.