The Shifting Depiction of Bathers in Modern Art: From Harmony to Anxiety
The depiction of bathers experienced a significant change with the advent of modernism. Emerging at the turn of the 20th century, the subject became a central focus for artists exploring the relationship between humanity and the natural world. Artists like Cézanne envisioned individuals as intrinsically linked to their surroundings, defined by their capacity for communal harmony. This optimistic view is powerfully exemplified in Matisse‘s Joie de vivre,a party of life’s pleasures – music,dance,and connection - set within a paradisiacal landscape reminiscent of Virgil.
Though, a stark contrast emerges when considering Picasso’s treatment of the same motif in the 1920s and 30s.His bathers are not figures of joyful integration,but rather individuals burdened by torment,endlessly searching for an unattainable refuge.Their attempts at play,symbolized by a perpetually uncatchable ball,underscore a sense of futility. For Picasso,the seaside transforms from a space of idyllic leisure into a backdrop for political unrest and personal trauma,perhaps stemming from the loss of a muse.Where earlier artists imbued the subject with positivity, Picasso portrays the beach as a site of anxiety, threat, and ultimately, defeat.
This research project aims to investigate how picasso utilizes the traumatic experiences of his figures on the seashore as a catalyst for the explicit sexualization of their bodies. this exploration draws upon Freudian psychoanalysis, recognizing the interconnectedness of anxiety and sexuality as mutually influencing forces. Specifically, Freud’s “Mourning and Melancholia” (1917) and “Inhibitions, Symptoms and Anxiety” (1926) – both written between major global conflicts – will serve as foundational texts for understanding the stylistic and political anxieties that shaped Picasso’s work during this period.
