A Lady in her bath

Localisation : The Gallery of Painting
Année de création :Late 16th century
Artiste :French School

Description

Iconography depicting women bathing, popularised in the 16th century in France, was a manifestation of the reception given to La Joconde nue by Leonardo da Vinci or his school (the sketch of which is held by the Condé Museum). There are indeed echoes of this nude beauty, depicted from the waist up with her face turned sideways, in the context of bathing, which was recommended for women after childbirth. The composition of the “Lady in her bath” is inspired by a François Clouet painting (held in Washington). The latter was himself inspired by La Joconde nue. It shows a new-born in the arms of a nurse, who gives the spectator a look that is almost complicit, while a mischievous child pinches some fruit from the bowl. Flowers, fruit, nudity and erotic sensuality subtly mix the theme of motherhood with that of Venus and Flora. The model was long believed to be Gabrielle d’Estrées, a favourite of King Henri IV and the mother of two of his children.