Who painted The Hot Bath?

The Hot Bath was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1839.

Where can I see The Hot Bath?

The Hot Bath is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is The Hot Bath?

The Hot Bath is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

The Hot Bath

Honoré Daumier , 1839

The Hot Bath is a print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1839 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Plate twelve of the print series titled The Bathers presents a solitary woman seated in a bathtub, surrounded by towels and a water jug.

Accession no.: 1925.1014
Credit line: Dudley P. Allen Fund

About this work

You see a woman sitting in a tub, surrounded by towels and a jug of water. The scene is simple, but it tells us about everyday life in 19th century France. This print was part of a series called The Bathers, which shows people in different stages of bathing.

You can learn more about the artist's style and other works at the museum where this piece is held, like The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Overview

Plate twelve of the print series titled The Bathers presents a solitary woman seated in a bathtub, surrounded by towels and a water jug. Executed as a 19th‑century French print, the composition captures a quiet, domestic moment without narrative embellishment, offering a straightforward glimpse into everyday hygiene practices of the period.

Subject & Meaning

The image focuses on a single figure engaged in the act of bathing, emphasizing the routine intimacy of personal care. By isolating the sitter amid modest accessories, the work underscores the ordinary nature of the scene, reflecting contemporary attitudes toward privacy and the mundane aspects of daily life.

Technique & Style

Created as a print, the work employs line and tonal contrast to delineate the figure, the tub, and surrounding objects. The restrained palette and simplified forms are characteristic of the artist’s approach to the series, which favors clear, unadorned representation over decorative detail.

History & Provenance

The print belongs to the larger Bathers series, each plate documenting a different stage of the bathing ritual. It entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed alongside other works that illustrate the artist’s exploration of everyday subjects.

Context

Produced in 19th‑century France, the piece reflects a period when printmaking was widely used to disseminate images of contemporary life. The Bathers series aligns with a broader artistic interest in genre scenes that documented ordinary activities, offering viewers a visual record of domestic customs.

Artist & collection

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Honoré-Victorin Daumier (French: ; 26 February 1808 – 10 or 11 February 1879) was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the…