Lot 55: HUGUES MERLE

HUGUES MERLE FRENCH 1823 - 1881 THE BATHER signed Hugues Merle and dated 1870 (lower left) oil on canvas 46 by 32 in. 116.8 by 81.2 cm

Hugues Merle was a contemporary and a possible rival of the more famous, William Bouguereau. Both artists were known, not only for their charming genre subjects, but also for their depiction of the female nude, usually disguised as an allegorical or mythological figure. In our painting, Merle has shown a beautiful wood nymph emerging from her bath; her fingers are entwined in her hair, still glistening with tiny drops of water from the pool below.