The Bather
Alexander Porfirevich Archipenko, American (born Ukraine), 1887 - 1964
Geography:
Made in France, Europe
Date:
1915Medium:
Oil paint, graphite, paper, and metal on panelDimensions:
20 x 11 1/2 inches (50.8 x 29.2 cm)Copyright:
© Estate of Alexander Archipenko / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Curatorial Department:
European PaintingObject Location:
1950-134-1Credit Line:
The Louise and Walter Arensberg Collection, 1950
Made in France, Europe
Date:
1915Medium:
Oil paint, graphite, paper, and metal on panelDimensions:
20 x 11 1/2 inches (50.8 x 29.2 cm)Copyright:
© Estate of Alexander Archipenko / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Curatorial Department:
European PaintingObject Location:
Currently not on view
Accession Number:1950-134-1Credit Line:
The Louise and Walter Arensberg Collection, 1950
Social Tags [?]
bathing [x] beach [x] collage [x] color [x] cubism [x] female [x] figurative [x] figure [x] france [x] mediterranean [x] swimmer [x] towel [x] ukrainian [x] ukrainian-born artist [x] water [x] world war i [x]Exempt from military duty because of an impaired leg, Alexander Archipenko spent World War I (1914-1918) in Nice, and his sudden preoccupation with intense color and soft, golden light can be seen as a direct result of his stay in this sun-drenched Mediterranean resort. Lacking the proper facilities for making large-scale sculpture, the artist turned to what he called "sculpto-painting," a collage medium in low relief. While this female bather was undoubtedly inspired by real-life swimmers that Archipenko would have seen on the beach during his time in Nice, the presence of a delicately shaded classical column imbues the composition with a timeless quality.