Bather by André Derain

This sculptural and timeless study, entitled “Bather”, represents a major milestone in the artistic evolution of Derain André. Moving away from Fauve fragmentation, the artist reconnects here with the great classical tradition of the female nude while infusing it with a modern Cézannesque monumentality. Through this solitary figure, the creator expresses an ideal of sober and rigorous beauty, translating the permanence of forms against the impermanence of natural elements.

A nude woman with an athletic body is represented from behind and in three-quarters view, leaning forward to wipe her foot on a white cloth placed on the ground. Her neat brown hair is gathered in an elegant low bun. The volumes of her back and thighs are modeled by a soft light that sculpts the flesh in warm golden and bronze tones. In the background, the horizon line separates a calm violet-blue sea from a cloudy sky of twilight paleness. The vertical and compact composition concentrates all attention on the powerful plasticity and absorbed attitude of the bather.

The artist demonstrates prodigious skill in the rendering of anatomical volumes and fleshly matter. His ability to use dark outlines to define the silhouette gives this work an almost sculptural dimension. This work testifies to a perfect technical mastery and great formal rigor.