Rembrandt – Bathsheba at Her Bath

Bathsheba at Her Bath is a painting by Rembrandt from 1654: Bathsheba sits naked on a bed covered with a white cloth, holding King David’s letter and looking ahead, lost in thought, while an old maidservant kneeling on the floor dries her foot. The original, oil on canvas, measures 142 x 142 cm and is in the Louvre in Paris. We paint it by hand in oil on canvas in 8 sizes, from 50 x 48 to 196 x 188 cm, or to your own measurement, and show it to you in a photograph before dispatch.

Bathsheba at Her Bath – Rembrandt

What does Bathsheba at Her Bath show?

A young woman sits life-size on the edge of a bed covered with white cloth, and behind her hangs a heavy golden-brown curtain. She is naked, wearing only a red ribbon with pearls in her hair, a pendant and a necklace, and a gold bracelet on her right arm. In her right hand, resting on her knee, she holds an open letter.

Her head is slightly bowed and she looks past us, somewhere towards the floor. At the lower left an old woman in dark clothes and a red headdress kneels and dries her foot with a white cloth. The background is almost black; the light falls on the skin, the white cloth and the letter.

Why is this painting so famous?

Because many regard this canvas painting as Rembrandt’s greatest nude. The British art historian Kenneth Clark called it Rembrandt’s greatest painting of the nude. Yet it is famous not only for the beauty of the body but for the face: Bathsheba is not posing, she is thinking, and there is worry in her gaze.

The second reason is how Rembrandt painted her. Earlier painters showed Bathsheba outdoors, with a palace in the background and King David watching her from his roof. Rembrandt leaves all of that out: David is absent, and only Bathsheba, the maid and the letter remain. The Louvre writes that it is precisely this absence that concentrates all the attention on Bathsheba.

What does the painting mean?

The story comes from the Second Book of Samuel in the Old Testament. From the roof of his palace King David sees Bathsheba bathing, the wife of his general Uriah, and sends for her. The letter in her hand is David’s summons, which the Bible does not mention but which belongs to the painting tradition of the subject. Bathsheba knows what the summons means, and it is that decision you see in her face.

X-rays have shown that her head was at first less bowed; Rembrandt lowered it later, making her more withdrawn. The Louvre notes that Hendrickje Stoffels, Rembrandt’s companion, is often thought to have posed for Bathsheba. There is more on the story and its readings in the Wikipedia article on the painting.

Where is the original today, and who owned it?

The original is in the Louvre in Paris, in the Department of Paintings, under inventory number MI 957. At the lower left is the signature and date: Rembrandt ft 1654. The museum adds that the canvas was once considerably reduced, especially at the top and on the left.

The Louvre also records its journey. In the early nineteenth century the painting was in London in the collection of William Young Ottley, then with the dealer Peacock, then in Paris with Count Joseph Maison and with Paul Perier, who offered it for sale in 1843 as Susanna at the Bath. Later it belonged to the physician Louis La Caze, who bequeathed it to the Louvre in 1869.

Bathsheba or another Rembrandt – which should you choose?

Bathsheba is a square painting of a single woman, so it suits a bedroom, a bathroom or a quiet living-room wall. A larger and more sumptuous female nude is Rembrandt’s Danaë, and the love of a couple without a nude is The Jewish Bride. A year before Bathsheba came Aristotle with a Bust of Homer, one of his most thoughtful works, and a great biblical story is The Return of the Prodigal Son.

The Rembrandt page gathers all the famous Rembrandt paintings we make.

How is our hand-painted Bathsheba made?

It is painted by hand by one of our painters, in oil colours on canvas. The work begins with the figure, the bed and the maid, checked carefully against the original, because in a nude any slip in the proportions shows at once. Then come the dark background and the golden-brown curtain, in several layers.

The skin is the hardest part: Rembrandt painted it in warm, soft layers, with shadows that never turn grey, and our painter lays the paint on the same way. The result is an oil painting reproduction with depth and real brushstrokes that a flat print does not have.

Which size for which wall?

Short answer: 50 x 48 or 60 x 57 cm for a bathroom, a dressing room or a narrow wall, 70 x 70 or 90 x 88 cm above a chest of drawers or a bed, 110 x 115 or 130 x 125 cm above a double bed or a sofa, and 165 x 165 and 196 x 188 cm for a large wall.

There are 8 sizes (width x height): 50 x 48, 60 x 57, 70 x 70, 90 x 88, 110 x 115, 130 x 125, 165 x 165 and 196 x 188 cm. The original is square, 142 x 142 cm; none of our sizes equals it, and the nearest are 130 x 125 cm, which is 12 cm narrower and 17 cm lower, and 165 x 165 cm, which is 23 cm larger on each side. As a painting for the living room or the bedroom, 110 x 115 or 130 x 125 cm is the most practical.

Hang the square painting with its centre about 150 cm above the floor; above a bed, keep the bottom edge 20 to 30 cm above the headboard.

What if I need a custom size or a frame?

We can paint Bathsheba in any width and height, including a true square at the size of the original. Write to us with the width and height and we will reply with a price and a date.

We send it rolled, stretched on a wooden stretcher bar or framed, and the stretching and framing are done in our workshop in Slovenia. You choose the frame in the 3D application, which is exclusively for choosing the frame; seeing the painting on your own wall is a separate service. A wide gold moulding brings out the golden curtain and the jewellery, while a narrow black one heightens the contrast between the dark background and the skin.

How does delivery work, and what is the guarantee?

We paint your Bathsheba when you order it, so allow 15 to 45 working days. It travels to any EU country with no customs, packed for transport. Before dispatch you receive a photograph of the finished painting for approval, and we correct whatever is needed; our returns policy applies to every order.

Because it is a nude, a wall art voucher is often the better present, letting the recipient choose to their own taste.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the original Bathsheba at Her Bath?

In the Louvre in Paris, inventory number MI 957. It came to the museum in 1869 with the bequest of the physician Louis La Caze.

Who was Bathsheba?

In the Old Testament, the wife of the general Uriah, whom King David saw bathing and sent for; she later became his wife and the mother of King Solomon.

What is Bathsheba holding?

King David’s letter summoning her. The biblical story does not mention a letter, but it often appears in paintings of the scene, and Rembrandt puts it at the centre.

Who was the model?

The Louvre notes that Hendrickje Stoffels, who was then living with Rembrandt, is often thought to have posed for Bathsheba.

Is your Bathsheba a print?

No. It is a hand-painted copy in oil on canvas that a painter makes for you, with real brushstrokes.

How big is the original?

Square, 142 x 142 cm, with Bathsheba life-size. Our sizes run from 50 x 48 to 196 x 188 cm; a 142 x 142 cm square we paint to measure.

Which size suits a bathroom or a bedroom?

For a bathroom, where space is tighter, choose 50 x 48 or 60 x 57 cm and hang it away from the steam; above a double bed, 110 x 115 or 130 x 125 cm.

Does it make a good gift?

For a lover of classical painting and of nudes, yes. If you are not sure the recipient will like the subject, give a wall art voucher.

• Subject: Bathsheba, naked, sits on a bed holding King David’s letter while a maid dries her foot.
• Original: 1654, oil on canvas, 142 x 142 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris.
• Ours: a Rembrandt reproduction painted by hand in oil on canvas, in 8 sizes from 50 x 48 to 196 x 188 cm or made to measure.
• Worth knowing: X-rays showed that Rembrandt lowered Bathsheba’s head only while he was painting.