Artwork
Woman Bathing Her Feet in a Brook
Woman Bathing Her Feet in a Brook is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Camille Pissarro. It dates from 1898 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
She is situated in a wooded natural setting beside flowing water, integrating the human figure with the surrounding landscape.
The painting depicts a nude woman bathing her feet in a forest stream. She is situated in a wooded natural setting beside flowing water, integrating the human figure with the surrounding landscape. The subject draws on the tradition of the female nude in nature, a genre Pissarro explored during his late career.
The intimate, unidealized scene of everyday rural life reflects the artist's ongoing commitment to depicting ordinary people in harmonious relationship with their natural environment, rather than mythological or allegorical subjects.
Technique & Style
Created by Camille Pissarro, Woman Bathing Her Feet in a Brook is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 73 cm in height and 92 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece is classified within the genre of the nude, though some records also categorize it as a portrait.
The composition depicts a woman situated within a natural setting that includes a forest and a stream. The handling of the medium captures the figure interacting with the water in a landscape context.
History & Provenance
Camille Pissarro painted Woman Bathing Her Feet in a Brook in 1894, an oil on canvas work depicting a woman in a stream within a forest setting. The painting entered the collection of Albert Pontremoli, subsequently passing through Paul Rosenberg and the galleries E. & A. Silberman before being acquired by Nathan Cummings and later János Plesch. It was eventually acquired by the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remains in the permanent collection.
The work has been catalogued under various dates in its provenance, with the creation year consistently recorded as 1894.
The painting’s ownership trail reflects a documented chain of collectors and dealers, confirming its movement from private hands into major institutional ownership. Its physical dimensions measure 73 cm in height by 92 cm in width, consistent with standard oil paintings of the period.
Woman Bathing Her Feet in a Brook by Camille Pissarro is held by the Art Institute of Chicago. According to provenance records, the painting passed through several owners, beginning with Albert Pontremoli, then the dealer Paul Rosenberg, followed by E. & A. Silberman Galleries, the collector Nathan Cummings, and János Plesch, before entering the museum's collection.
Overview
Camille Pissarro’s 1898 oil painting Woman Bathing Her Feet in a Brook presents a solitary nude figure immersed in a forested stream. The composition captures a quiet, everyday moment, emphasizing the interaction of the human body with a natural setting.
Context
By 1898, Pissarro had already contributed significantly to both Impressionism and the emerging Neo‑Impressionist movement. This work aligns with his long‑standing focus on everyday rural scenes, yet its robust texture hints at the evolving modernist tendencies that would influence early 20th‑century art.
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Artist & collection
- Woman Bathing Her Feet in a Brook
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