Nymphs bathing

Swiss artist Arnold Böcklin painted this Nymphs Bathing around 1865, a mythological scene rendered in his developing Symbolist style. The work shows nude female figures bathing in a forest pool at night, their bodies illuminated by fantastical moonlight. Tree trunks and roots glow with vivid magentas and electric blues.

The nocturnal setting allows Böcklin to use color ranges far removed from reality. A yellow fantasy moon lights the scene, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. The composition practically turns the viewer into a "spying satyr," observing a private ritual. This voyeuristic quality runs through much of Böcklin's mythological work.

Böcklin (1827-1901) became one of the most influential Symbolist artists, best known for his five versions of Isle of the Dead. His fantastical subjects and heightened colors anticipated Surrealism. The painting hangs at the Oskar Reinhart Foundation in Winterthur, Switzerland, which holds a significant collection of his nature and mythological paintings.