Sebastiano Ricci
Bathsheba at her Bath, 1720s
Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
The Story of Bathsheba
King David looked out his window one day, and noticed a beautiful woman bathing on a rooftop nearby. He summoned the woman, lay with her and she became pregnant. David summoned her husband Urriah, who was fighting in his army. He encouraged Urriah to go home and visit his beautiful wife, but Urriah had taken an oath, and insisted it wouldn't be fair to his fellow soldiers if he slept in a warm bed while they slept on the ground. After his failed attempt to escape responsibility for Bathsheba's pregnancy, he arranged for Urriah to be placed at the frontlines of the battle and then abandoned. After Urriah's death, David took Bathsheba to be his own wife. God was displeased with David's trickery, and their child did not survive. Bathsheba later became the mother of David's son, Solomon, who grew up to become king.
Although this story is meant to illuminate the character of King David, showing the catastropic outcomes of the his impulsiveness, artists often shift the focus of this scene to portray Bathsheba as a beautiful woman calling attention to herself by bathing lavishly.
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Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari
Bathsheba at Her Bath, c. 1680
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
King David spies on Bathsheba's bath from the balcony in the top right. Bathsheba's vanity is emphasized by her glance in the mirror.
Artemisia Gentileschi
David and Bathsheba, 1640s
Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus
King David spies on Bathsheba's bath from the balcony in the top left.
Luca Giordano
The Toilet of Bathsheba, after 1700
National Gallery, London
King David spies on Bathsheba's bath from the balcony in the top left.
Bathsheba's vanity is emphasized by the number of attendants to her bath, and her selection of jewels.
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When you see a painting of a woman bathing, chances are, the painting depicts either Bathsheba or Susanna - two woman whose fascinating stories are told in the Old Testament.
How to tell the difference? Count the men.
King David looks on from a distance as Bathsheba baths.
Two old men look on nearby as Susanna baths.
Although the stories of Bathsheba and Susanna have little to do with each other, paintings that depict these stories often look very similar. Artists have used both of these themes as an opportunity to depict the temptation of voyeurism. By positioning the women advantageously, the artist allows the viewer to play the part of the voyeur.
Pieter Lastman
Susanna and the Elders, 1614
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
The Story of Susanna & the Elders:
Two elders of Babylon lusted after the beautiful Susanna, and conspired to spy on her while she bathed. One afternoon, after Susanna had sent her maidservants away, the two elders approached her, confessed their lust, and insisted that she lie with them. They threatened to accuse her of adultery with a young man if she refused. When Susanna adamently refused, the elders cried out their accusations, and Susanna was sentenced to death for the crime of adultery. A young man named Daniel insisted on further investigation, and upon interrogating the elders separately, found discrepancies in their stories. Susanna was vindicated, and Daniel earned great respect.
Although this story is meant to illuminate the character of the Prophet Daniel, showing his sound judgment and fairness, artists often shift the focus of this scene to emphasize the voyeuristic aspects of the story, and in some cases, to emphasize the woman's terror and struggle to maintain modesty.
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Domenichino
Susanna and the Elders, 1603
Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj, Rome
In these three examples, the elders spy on Susanna's bath and have clearly invaded her personal space. They are shown tugging at her clothes, and holding up a finger to indicate silence. Susanna is shown startled or distressed, and she struggles to keep herself covered.
Guido Reni
Susanna and the Elders, 1620
National Gallery, London
Anthony Van Dyck
Susanna and the Elders, 1621-22
Alte Pinakothek, Munich
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