Provenance

Mr. and Mrs. Morton D. May

American

Explore selected works

The painting shows three people at the beach. On the right is a woman in a green one-shoulder garment with her back to us. She has pale skin and dark hair, and under her green garment is a brighter green outfit similar to a bathing suit. Next to her, on the left, is a man with peach-and-orange skin wearing a dark, one-shoulder outfit. His facial features are geometric and outlined with thick black lines. The man’s body is facing the left, but his head is turned to look at the woman in green. A third person is partially hidden behind these other two. The background includes a blue sky with white clouds and brown rocks in the vibrant, green-blue ocean.
Max Beckmann, Bathing Scene (The Green Cloak), 1934, oil on canvas, Collection of Arnold and Joan Saltzman, 2006.164.1

Bathing Scene (The Green Cloak)

Max Beckmann · 1934 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  2006.164.1

This painting depicts a group of men and women created by a collection of angular, geometric shapes with flat planes and blocks of color. One person is standing, and they appear to be a bare-chested man with tan skin and short, dark hair, who is wearing red shorts. He has his hand on his hip and looks off to the right. At his feet appear to be several seated people, although they are only partially visible. Three women with pale skin seem to be facing away from us; we can see their legs, arms, and torsos, although these don't all fit together. The woman on the left has blonde hair, the woman on the right has brown hair, and the woman between them has short black hair. None of their faces are visible. In the middle of this group, at the center of the painting, we see the face and hand of another person who is looking to the left. This person has light brown skin, and we can't see the rest of their body. Surrounding elements include a blue sky with abstract cloud forms, an angular tree on the left, and patches of brown, white, and green on the ground, with one red flower. A tan rectangle under a red triangle on the right edge suggests a building.
Roger de La Fresnaye, The Bathers, 1912, oil on canvas, Gift of Sara Lee Corporation, 2000.51.1

The Bathers

Roger de La Fresnaye · 1912 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  2000.51.1