Susanna in the Bath (Corinth)

Susanna in the Bath is an early painting by German painter Lovis Corinth, created in 1890 in his hometown of Königsberg. Corinth painted two slightly different versions of it, the first of which he exhibited at the Salon de Paris in 1891. The initial version, believed to be lost, was rediscovered in 2006 through a private auction.

The better-known second version, however, has been part of the Museum Folkwang, in Essen, since 1966. Executed in oil on canvas, the portrait painting measures 159 × 111 cm. In this artwork, Corinth explores the Bible story of Susanna in the Bath, a theme that has been popular and frequently depicted in visual arts.

He transforms the story into a nude portrayal, depicting Susanna unclothed after bathing, with two men secretly observing her. The artist himself served as the model for these two observers, effectively casting himself as a voyeur. Remarkable is Susanna's very realistic and naturalistic representation, which did not correspond to the usual painting styles of the masters of the time.

However, the combination of a nude depiction and a history painting met the prevailing taste of the public at that time.