After the Bath

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This painting has probably not been restored properly for some time and could benefit from a reexamination of all aspects of the restoration. The canvas has been lined using wax as an adhesive and has been stretched onto a mechanical stretcher. Neither the lining nor the stretcher are appropriate however they are reversible and this process should be undertaken in order to provide more texture and original feeling to the surface. The painting was cleaned, varnished and retouched most likely at about the same time as the lining was applied. The retouching in the light areas i.e. the floor, the pool and the interior of the baths on the right side, is sparingly applied. The bottom edge has been restored quite consistently running from right to left for as much as one inch in places. The restoration is not particularly accurate. The right side of the right hand column in front of the marble edifice which contains the water has been retouched slightly. Almost all of the remainder of the retouching is in the upper left quadrant, which includes the shoulders and the shadowed side of the face of the seated girl on the left and the torso and some parts of the face of the standing girl in blue. Behind the two women there is the noticeable shadowed area of the interior which was abraded during cleaning and which was subsequently retouched. Abrasion in darker colors unfortunately does occur quite often, normally as a result of over cleaning in an attempt to brighten these dark areas. Thankfully the figures, the lighter areas and the main figure are in very good state. This picture will benefit greatly from a complete reexamination of the restoration and while retouching will be required in the areas noted above, particularly in the upper left quadrant, at present the painting is not shown to its best advantage. "This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller." Beginning in the 1870s, Gérôme produced a group of bath scenes, with After the Bath among the most accomplished examples. The composition follows a motif famously developed by early nineteenth century artists like Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (fig. 1). In the present work a group of female bathers with dampened hair and in various states of undress gather around a reflective pool. Each figure holds a distinctly different pose from the seated nude, her spine flexed, her neck softly twisted as she turns to her companion, to a shadowed figure standing in contrapposto , a saturated blue robe held across her pale body. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Gérôme does not eroticize the bathing scene instead, the work serves as a careful examination of the human body and its skeletal structure, subtle muscle movement, and textured skin. From the 1870s, Gérôme's intense anatomy studies for his sculptures were further put to use in his paintings supported by observation of professional models in his Paris studios. The architecture and decorations of After the Bath 's interior may have been assembled from photographs and Gérôme's own props. When visiting Constantinople (now Istanbul) Gérôme met the famous Turkish photographers, the Abdullah brothers (founders of the Abdullah Frères firm); he used their images of the city, mainly its interiors, as sources for his compositions' backgrounds. Further, the artist decorated his Paris studio with tiles, metalwork, fabrics and other Middle Eastern souvenirs. Gérôme's visits to the Turkish city of Bursa's Sinan baths were likely important inspiration for After the Bath. Working in the baths on Men's Day (his presence among women would certainly have been forbidden), Gérôme naturally observed the casual society o