Baadster 1845

This lithograph was made in France by Paul Gavarni in the 19th century. It shows a woman in a bathing setting. At a time when the divide between private and public life was strongly policed, scenes of women bathing were extremely popular. They offer a titillating glimpse behind the closed doors of domestic life. Gavarni was a social satirist who worked for the popular press. He depicted the lives of Parisians across the social spectrum, from the elites to the working classes, and this print is typical of his output. The woman’s elegant dress and languid pose contrast with the natural setting, suggesting that she belongs to a higher social class. She appears as though caught off guard. Is the artist pointing out the hypocrisy of a society that both fetishizes and punishes the display of female sexuality? Art historians consult a range of primary sources like periodicals, prints, and other visual materials to better understand the ever-changing social, political, and cultural contexts in which art is made.