Shop art print and framed art Baigneuses by Gustave Moreau

The Song of Songs (or The Sulamite) is a painting by Gustave Moreau, painted in 1853 and now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon. This was one of Gustave Moreau's first salon works, and the influence of Théodore Chassériau is obvious. The subject is quite original, but the work went unnoticed during the artist's lifetime. It depicts a woman in a melancholy torpor as she is attacked by drunken guards. This work was one of Gustave Moreau's first submissions, after he had given up competing for the Prix de Rome. It was commissioned by the State on 22 November 1852 for the sum of 2,000 francs thanks to Laisné, a relative of Moreau and director of the Ministry of the Interior. A certain inspector, Dubois, visited the studio on 15 April 1853, but did not see the painter, who was absent. He was nevertheless able to see the Cantique des cantiques, which had already been completed. He suggested that the minister send him a deposit of half the planned sum before he exhibited it. An initial deposit of 1,000 francs was therefore paid on 22 April 1853, and Moreau received the remaining 1,000 francs on 27 June 1853. The work was then sent to the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon. This is a large canvas, measuring 3 metres by 3.19 metres, which is rare for Moreau, who was used to less monumental formats. The landscape is almost non-existent, appearing only as a sort of hill and a wall to the right of the composition. The atmosphere is twilight, with grey and white clouds. The figures occupy [...]

 

This artwork is a painting from the modern period. It belongs to the symbolism style.

 

« Baigneuses » is kept at Musée Gustave Moreau, Paris, France.

 

Find the full description of Baigneuses by Gustave Moreau on Wikipedia.