In ode to the ultimate summer muse

This June, Saatchi Yates presents ‘Bathers’– a summer group exhibition celebrating the rich tradition of Bathing scenes in the history of painting.

The exhibition presents a collection of contemporary art, alongside renowned Post-War and Historical Masters including David Hockney, Paul Cezanne, J. M. W. Turner and Pablo Picasso. 

Also presenting in the show are contemporary stars Hurvin Anderson, Peter Doig, Henry Taylor, Eric Fischl, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, showcasing an artistic prowess that reflects the breadth and diversity of the Bathers theme. 

Pieces by Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Damien Hirst, and Auguste Rodin will also be on display.

Speaking on the exhibition, Martin Gayford says: “Bathers in painting are both varied and fundamental to the human condition. The combination of unclothed bodies and water can evoke guilt-free primordial innocence: a sin-free Eden. On the other hand, the same visual ingredients can suggest the consequences of Eve and Adam’s Fall: guilt, lust, death. 

He continues “in either case, the subject combines in one neat package two of the major preoccupations of artists for many centuries – landscape and the nude. It is no surprise that bathers have preoccupied painters for so long, and it is likely that the combination of water and human bodies will continue to intrigue them far into the future.”

Six of Saatchi Yates gallery artists including Danny Fox, Benjamin Spiers and Ethiopian artist Tesfaye Urgessa, will pay homage to this tradition, each one exploring the Bather in their own unique artistic methods and styles. 

Bathers follows Saatchi Yates’ well-regarded Tesfaye Urgessa solo show in Miami in November 2022. The show also follows on from Macabre – the selling exhibition co-organised with Christie’s London in October 2022, featuring works by Otto Dix, Lucas Cranach, Andy Warhol, and Francis Bacon.

The exhibition will be available for viewing from June 1 until August 10.  Admission is free. Additionally, there will be weekly curator-led tours every Saturday throughout June.

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