Bathsheba at Her Bath after 1729

This is an anonymous pen and brown ink drawing of Bathsheba at her bath. The subject, taken from the Bible, was most popular in the Renaissance, but continued to be a theme for artists to explore. Here, we see the figure of Bathsheba lounging in her bath, attended to by two handmaidens. The gaze of the central figure directs us to the story’s cultural context. According to the Bible, King David saw her bathing and desired her, impregnating her while her husband was away at war. The story is a study of lust and abuse of power. We can imagine how the historical circumstances in which this was made might have influenced the artist. The meaning of this art is not fixed, but is something that is shaped by cultural context, historical events, and social change. To fully understand it, we have to consider all these things.