Study for "Greek Girls Bathing" c. 1872

Elihu Vedder created this study for "Greek Girls Bathing" with gouache and graphite on paper. Vedder, working in the late 19th century, was part of a generation of American artists who looked to classical antiquity for inspiration, but also for a reflection on their contemporary society. This figure, draped in classical garb, is rendered with a muted palette that gives her a timeless quality. Yet, there’s also a striking ambiguity here, a tension between the classical ideal and the realities of gender and representation. Vedder, like many of his contemporaries, was grappling with how to represent women in a rapidly changing world, and the choice of a classical subject allowed him to explore themes of beauty, purity, and the female form, while also distancing himself from the immediate social constraints of his time. The facelessness of the figure invites us to project our own interpretations, to consider the roles and expectations placed upon women both then and now. What does it mean to idealize the female form, and who gets to define that ideal?