Les Baigneuses – Les Filles De La Source
Les Baigneuses – Les Filles De La Source (The Bathers – The Daughters of the Spring) by French Painter Henri Lehmann (1814 – 1882); a painter of portraits, religious & historical scenes, allegorical & literary works and genre scenes.
This is a sensual and alluring mythological scene of four women bathers that are the daughters of the spring relaxing on the ground in a forest after taking a bath in the flowing waters of a spring.
One of the sisters with golden blonde colored hair is fixing her hair, as she stands partially dis-robed as sunlight illuminates the upper portion of nude body and the gold string bracelet wrapped around her right forearm.
The second sister with black hair who is closest to her, is laying on her back as her outstretched right hand touches a bell shaped flower near a tree. She is wearing a blue robe with a matching kerchief, that has wide light brown and orange stripes on it, as well as a pearl necklace and pearl bracelet, as well as a gold string bracelet on her right ankle.
The third sister with brown colored hair, is sitting beside her with her back partially to the viewer and is nude from the waist up with her garments of grey, white and red layered over her lap; as she looks at the viewer clutching her pearl headpiece with left hand that is placed over her head to the right and her face is partially tucked into her right upper arm, and her forearm placed across her knees.
The fourth sisters red hair is seated by the edge of the water, and has red and green flowers on either side of her hair and is partially clothed in a white robe, as sunlight illuminates her breast and abdomen, while she looks into the water.
In the background the forest is partially illuminated by the setting sun on the left; and on the right we can see water cascading down the mountain and over boulders as well as more trees that seem to be rising out of the water.
Les Baigneuses – Les Filles De La Source is a remastered digital art old masters reproduction of a public domain image that is available as an art print online.
Information Below Derived From Wikipedia.org
Henri was born Heinrich Salem Lehmann in Germany on April 14, 1814 and was first tutored by his father Leo Lehmann (1782 – 1859) who was also a painter, then later by other painters in Hamburg.
When he was 17 years of age he decided to move to Paris, France to study under the French Painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780 – 1867) a Neoclassic and Orientalist artist; and became one of his most successful students and a close associate.
Henri first exhibited his artwork at the Salon in 1835, and was able to garner a second place medal, and from that point on would regularly exhibit his artwork; winning first prize medals in 1840, 1848 and 1855.
In 1842 Henri permanently settled in Paris and obtained commissions for creating large public works, which included the Church ofSte-Clothilde, the Palais de Justice, the Palais du Luxembourg and the Hôtel de Ville, as well as many others.
Four years later in 1846 he received the Légion d’honneur and the following year would become a French citizen; and in the same year opened his art studio.
Fourteen years later he was appointed to the position of instructor at the famous École des Beaux-Arts and by 1875 was appointed to the position of Professor.
Henri would also go on to paint portraits of well known figures of the time, including Italian Princess Cristina Trivulzio Belgiojoso (1808 – 1871), French Writer Marie-Henri Beyle (Stendhal 1783 – 1842), Polish Composer and Virtuoso Pianist Frédéric François Chopin (1810 – 1849), Hungarian Composer Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886), French Philosopher Victor Cousin (1792 – 1867), French Composer Charles Gounod (1818 – 1893) and many others.
