The Bathers, Souvenir of the Banks of the Anio River at Tivoli
Although painted in France, this work depicts bathers near Tivoli, a popular, parklike estate near Rome, famous for its fountains, picturesque hills, and lush forests. As was the custom for many artists of the 19th century, d'Aligny traveled to Italy to study. He remained there from 1825 until 1827, making careful drawings and oil sketches directly from the Roman countryside. He would often use these works to compose more finished paintings in his studio. Although d'Aligny visited Italy twice more, his last trip was in 1843. This painting, made years after that date, is therefore a true souvenir, that is, a recollection evoking his experiences in Italy
Colors in this work
Details
- Date
- c. 1860/1861
- Medium
- oil on wood panel
- Dimensions
- framed: height 0.585 m, width 0.605 m, depth 0.08 m; unframed: height 0.375 m, width 0.41 m
- Origin
- France, 19th century
- Department
- Modern European Painting and Sculpture
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Palette
-
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- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
10 tags
Subject Matter
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Landscapes and Waterscapes Both · 99%
The image is dominated by wooded terrain, a body of water, hills, and distant mountains; the title and museum description identify the setting as the banks of the Anio River at Tivoli.
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Bathers Both · 99%
Multiple nude or partially draped figures are visibly bathing, sitting, or standing in and beside the water, and the title identifies the work as The Bathers.
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Figures in Nature Visual · 99%
A group of small human figures is situated within a much larger natural environment of trees, water, hills, and mountains.
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Water Both · 98%
A reflective stream or pool occupies the central lower portion of the composition, while the title refers to the Anio River.
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Leisure Both · 94%
The bathers are shown resting and bathing in a natural setting, supporting a subject of recreation and repose.
Visual Qualities
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Dark Colors Visual · 91%
Deep greens and shadowed foliage dominate much of the scene, contrasted with muted blue mountains and a pale sky.
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Earth Tones Visual · 92%
The landscape uses subdued greens, browns, ochers, and blue-greens across the vegetation, figures, water, and distant hills.
Medium and Techniques
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Oil on Panel Metadata · 99%
The Cleveland Museum of Art specifies the medium as oil on wood panel.
Time Periods
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19th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The museum dates the work to c. 1860/1861, placing it in the nineteenth century.
Geographic Regions
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French Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog identifies d’Aligny as French and gives France as the place of origin.
Source & rights
Théodore Caruelle d' Aligny (French, 1798–1871). The Bathers, Souvenir of the Banks of the Anio River at Tivoli. Cleveland Museum of Art.
High-resolution sources
- Original TIFF ↗ 6,201 × 5,738 · Cleveland Museum Of Art · Available