„Many of Bonnard’s paintings draw the viewer int the realm of the bathroom, to capture the relaxed, natural scene of a woman washing and also the complicity between painter and model. Every aspect of the decor plays a part in eroticising these rituals, which are framed to partially reveal or hide the naked body in order to fan the flames of desire. Wallpaper in warm hues, tiles, rugs, accessories, mirrors, and curtains filtering the light, all envelop the woman in a vibrant aura.
The model for most of these nudes was Bonnard’s partner Marthe, but the identity of his other models has little bearing on the works as they embody a feminine ideal in his painting: slim, pearly-skinned, pert-breasted and faceless.
The artist married Marthe in August 1925 and his mistress, Renée Monchaty, committed suicide a few weeks later. He began a series of nudes in the bathtub depicting a passive, horizontal body viewed from above through the transparent water. The space is transfigured by the shimmering colours and light. Planes and materials merge into one. This magnificent display, in a humble bathroom transformed into a palace from The Arabian Nights, only partially mitigates the air of ambiguity which these scenes exude.“
