Bathers

~ Cakeordeath

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Gerhard Richter-Badende (Bathers) 1967
As I noted in my previous post on the extraordinary German artist Gerhard Richter (see The Reader) his constant re-invention, technical mastery and breath of subject matter has created a body of work without parallel in contemporary art.

He has also shown an constant engagement with and re-visioning of the work of the Old Masters, including Vermeer, Titian and Ingres. Badende, featured above, takes as its starting point Ingres’s The Turkish Bath, one of the most sensual and erotic paintings ever, while Kleine Badende below references the same artist’s The Small Bather. Grey is to Richter what blue was to Yves Klein (Dreams of Desire 48 (Blue), however the smudged obscurity of Badende actually accentuates the erotic possibilities inherent in the scene. Richter’s third wife Sabine Moritz is the model for Kleine Badende, painted in the blurry photo-realistic style that he is justifiably famous for.

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Gerhard Richter-Kleine Badende (Small Bather) 1996

59 thoughts on “Bathers”

  1. I’m on my phone at the moment. I can’t wait to get a better look on the larger screen. It is reminiscent of the Turkish bath! That is a steamy painting (oh the bad pun…) I’ll be back in a bit!

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      1. Alright, home now. Had a closer look. It really does infer that there are all sort of shenanigans going on now doesn’t it? You do know how to find them. The second painting is lovely – not quite as photo real as the Reader but still… I will have to go look at more of his work.

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  2. I like them! I’m going to look up the inspirations. Meg is right, those bathers on top are up to no good. 😈 The bottom painting is lovely and subtle. Very nice.

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      1. Yeah, I’ll look them up. So him calling it the same as the blue guy (I’m so sorry, I’m horrible with names) meant that he was doubly inspired?

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      7. Hmm, funny- Ingres’ Small Bather is facing the other way. But they both have the hair thing. And I looked reeeeeal close at Ingres’ bath one and only see one pair of ladies touching. They are both very suggestive of things to come. Give those ladies another half hour and watch out! 😁

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      13. Of course! You worry too much, Mr. Cake. It’s a very good thing to give fun lessons in art. 😊 You know me, I like stuff like that.

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  4. I too hit blurry mode with my cartoons today: not sure whether it’s my eyes or the camera or the shakes. The originals aren’t blurry at all. I was going to re-shoot; however, having seen the effects created here, maybe blurry ain’t too bad after all.

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      1. Of course, it hasn’t. 🙂 But, really, we write what we want to, and in the end, it doesn’t really matter what other people think. I know that’s sometimes hard to practice in reality, but it’s important to stay true to your self regardless of how you think people perceive it. And I, for one, like you and what you share. ❤

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      3. The right people will come and stay, and we let the rest go. What I tell myself anyway. 🙂 Also, thought of your interest in unique photography when I posted my latest.

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      7. Phew. Thought maybe I’d offended you. I should know better than to think that, I suppose. I figured if anyone could appreciate a spontaneous photo session that involved sun and shadow play, you would.

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      11. Flattered. I’ll have to take your word for it. 🙂 It was unfiltered…that was the right angle for the sun at the right time on the wall. Hard to resist.

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