Artwork
Nymphs in the Bath
Nymphs in the Bath is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Toussaint Gelton. It dates from 1662 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Toussaint Gelton's 1662 oil painting, Nymphs in the Bath, is classified as a mythological work that visually narrates a scene of female nudes bathing within a natural landscape. The composition specifically depicts nymphs situated in a forest setting under an open sky, adhering to the traditional iconography of classical mythology where these nature deities are associated with wooded groves and water sources. By portraying these figures in a state of undress within their elemental environment, the artwork represents the quintessential connection between mythological beings and the untamed natural world, a common theme in seventeenth-century genre painting.
Technique & Style
Stylistically, the composition depicts a mythological scene featuring nymphs bathing within a forest setting under an open sky.
Executed in 1662, Nymphs in the Bath is an oil painting applied to a panel support. The work measures 17.5 cm in height and 21.5 cm in width, indicating a small-scale format. Stylistically, the composition depicts a mythological scene featuring nymphs bathing within a forest setting under an open sky.
The piece is classified as a nude genre work, focusing on the human form within a naturalistic landscape context.
History & Provenance
Nymphs in the Bath is an oil painting on panel executed in 1662 by the Dutch artist Toussaint Gelton. The work measures 17.5 cm by 21.5 cm and depicts a mythological scene of nymphs bathing in a forest clearing. According to the museum record, the painting entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it remains on view.
No documentation indicates a specific commissioning patron; the work is catalogued simply as a product of Gelton’s oeuvre from that year. Its provenance is therefore limited to its acquisition by the museum, which holds it in its permanent collection.
Overview
Toussaint Gelton's Nymphs in the Bath, painted in 1662, exemplifies Dutch Golden Age painting. This oil on canvas depicts mythological figures in a natural setting, a common theme of the period. The work showcases Gelton's engagement with classical subjects and his refined approach to landscape and figure composition. It is currently housed in the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst.
Artist & collection
Artist
Toussaint Gelton (1630 – 1680) was a Dutch painter known for his work buying paintings in 1658 for the Swedish king Charles X Gustav and the family of Swedish noble Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie.
