The history of bathing in the arts
Nudity, mud and cleanliness: An exhibition at the Staatliche Kunsthalle in Baden-Baden shows various representations of bathing through the ages.
Naked women — for the male gaze
The fleeting encounter of Actaeon, a hunter in Greek mythology, and the goddess Diana has been a popular motif for painters seeking to delight male viewers with the representation of female nudity — such as this work by 17th-century Italian painter Giuseppe Cesari. In Greek mythology, however, Diana punished Actaeon's intrusion by turning him into a stag, later to be torn apart by his own hounds.
Naked men — a rarity in art
In art history, naked male bodies have long been an exception. US painter Patrick Angus (1953-1992) brought this scene "A Shower at the Baths" to canvas in 1984, eight years before passing away from AIDS.
An ancient depiction of youthful bathing
This piece which dates back to ancient Greece is the work of Onesimos, who liked to paint beautiful, often undressed, young men. His works depict the everyday activities of aristocrats in ancient Athens: studying, exercising, training with weapons and horses, and naturally afterwards, bathing like the young man above.
Bath time in miniature form
Japanese Netsuke figures may be small but fetch a high price on the art market, and they weren’t always purely aesthetic. The intricate, button-sized ivory carvings emerged in the 18th and 19th century as a way to help secure lacquered boxes to a kimono with string. This peaceful depiction of a bathing girl is a sought-after collector's item.
A peek at a Moorish pedicure
The French painter Jules Migonney (1876-1925) captured this scene in a Moorish women's bathhouse in 1911. His painting "Le Bain Maure" (a hammam) can be seen in the Baden-Baden exhibition on the cultural evolution of bathing.
A uniform-clad visit to historic Roman baths
Not all bath scenes are in the nude. These British soldiers at a historic Roman bath in England at the end of the First World War are very much the opposite. The photo from the US National Archives was taken in July 1918.
Washing as a performance
German photographer Ute Klophaus was dedicated to documenting the works of artist Joseph Beuys. Until Beuys' death in 1986, Klophaus recorded his performance art in black and white. Seen here: Beuys performing a ritualistic foot washing with his students.
A Berlin mud bath
Life is art. Like Beuys, this is Chiharu Shiota's creed. The Japanese installation and performance artist constructs works all over the world — and also in the bathroom of her Berlin apartment. Shiota explores the great themes of humanity across memory, homeland, fear, birth and death.