273- Bathers IV - Nymphaeum II - Spring Nymphs - Minor Dieties of Spring

I’ve always been intrigued and inspired by the Cezanne Bather paintings, and the Bather paintings by now famous artists who followed him, who were also inspired by. Matisse did a very large Bather painting and owned one of Cezanne’s very small ones. He kept it always. I am awed by both. This is #4 in my Bathers series. The mental gymnastics about Cezanne’s work was his endeavor to use the figures as the structure of the painting. That also meant for me a goal of blending or subordinating the figures to the natural surroundings. Bathers IV is a step in my process perhaps better demonstrated by later versions.