Rembrandt van Rijn - Bathsheba Bathing 1654
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Bathsheba Bathing 1654
142x142cm oil/panel
Louvre, Paris, France
The image is only being used for informational and educational purposes
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From Louvre, Paris:
A nude young woman is sitting on pure white drapery, a letter in her hand. She appears to be lost in thought, as an elderly maidservant with an Oriental-style headdress washes her feet. The young woman is the beautiful Bathsheba. King David had seen her bathing from the terrace of his palace, and fallen passionately in love with her. He summoned her with a letter, before sending her husband, the general Uriah, to certain death in battle. God later punished this illicit liaison: the adulterous couple's firstborn son would perish. Unlike many other painters (such as Jan Massys), Rembrandt chose to focus on Bathsheba's reaction to the royal summons; he did not portray David's desire, nor any other anecdotal detail. The result is psychologically powerful and profoundly moving.