View of the Park at Versailles: Women Bathing Beneath a Bridge n.d

Antoine Pierre Mongin rendered this drawing of the Park at Versailles using graphite, pen, and gray ink wash. It depicts women bathing beneath a bridge, offering us a glimpse into 18th-century leisure and social life. Mongin's work invites us to consider the lives of women during this period. The women are depicted in a state of undress, their bodies exposed within the landscape, and it raises questions about privacy, social norms, and the male gaze. Are they enjoying a moment of freedom and camaraderie, or are they subject to the scrutiny of onlookers? The artist's choice to depict this scene within the opulent setting of Versailles further complicates the narrative. What does it mean to represent these women within a space of power and privilege? This drawing invites us to reflect on the complexities of gender, class, and representation in 18th-century France.