Peters, Johann Anton de (1725 - 1795)

Devoid of any mythological context (Diana taking a Bath) or biblical meaning (Suzanne at the Bath) context, this elegant bather is portrayed just for herself, like a genre scene, in a bucolic mineral setting. The combination of her pasty complexion, clothes and a porcelain-like turban creates a feminine figure with striking opalescence. Here the painter, a career miniaturist, transposes his fine, delicate touch into an easel format. The work is scattered with vivid details: the small, ribboned dog, the playful putti figures depicted on the belly of the antique vase, the honeysuckle and the foliage. This calm, graceful scene is reminiscent of Diane au bain (Diana at the Bath) by Jean-Baptiste Santerre (1704, Louvre Museum) or Repos de Diane (Diana at rest) by François Boucher (1745, Cognacq-Jay Museum) for the detail of the delicate foot soaked in water, an allusion to the awakening of the senses. Peters manages to bring renewal to the well-known theme of a woman’s personal ablutions, giving it an unprecedented, exquisite freshness.

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