The Toilet of Bathsheba

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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This is a scene from a story in the Old Testament. The naked woman is Bathsheba. She has just finished bathing, unaware that she has been spotted by King David, who is standing on the roof of his palace at the top right of the picture. According to the Bible, David was so besotted with Bathsheba’s beauty that he seduced her and then ordered her husband Uriah into the forefront of a battle. Uriah was soon killed, and David proceeded to take Bathsheba as his wife.

As an unwitting temptress, Bathsheba was a popular figure in art history. Her story provided a good excuse to make pictures like this, which – thinly disguised as a religious painting – depicts a voluptuous nude in an unguarded moment. Although the style is reminiscent of Giordano, it is more likely to be by an imitator working after his death.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

The Toilet of Bathsheba

Date

after 1705

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 50.1 x W 63.4 cm

Accession number

NG4035

Acquisition method

Sir Claude Phillips Bequest, 1924

Work type

Painting

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The National Gallery, London

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