Standing Bather, Seen from the Back
1880
oil
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
1880
oil
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
You see a woman standing with her back to you, in a simple landscape. She's not detailed, but the background is. The painting has a strange history: it was cut from a larger work, and you can still see parts of the old scene, like legs from another figure. This other figure is partly hidden, but its legs are visible in the corner. The artist changed his mind a lot while painting. Check out the technique of impasto to learn more about how artists like Paul Cezanne built up thick layers of paint.
