Esquisse pour la baignoire
In a drab, greyish bathroom, the silhouette of a young woman stands out against the play of geometric shapes created by the wall tiles, the mirror, and the light from the window projected onto her diaphanous body. This sketch from Être ici est une splendeur (2022), a private scene with melancholic overtones, is characteristic of Nathanaëlle Herbelin’s approach, inspired by reality while only providing an approximate transcription of it. While the theme of the bath is a recurring one for the artist, it is also in keeping with the tradition of women at their toilette, as seen in the work of Edgar Degas and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. However, far from being viewed passively by the male eye, and despite the apparent fragility of her naked body, the woman here observes the viewer with defiance, her provocative gaze reflected in the mirror.
Text written by Chiara Perez as part of the partnership between the École du Louvre and Lafayette Anticipations – Fonds de dotation Famille Moulin.