By Lake Siljan

Anders Zorn has come to be associated with paintings of nude young women bathing. In his early paintings on this theme, the women often seem unaware of the spectator. They are not posing, but are simply captured on canvas while undressing or concentrating on getting out of the water. This spontaneous character is naturally false, and the nudity is a vital element in the painting. Nevertheless, these paintings are not primarily erotic; instead, the emphasis is on the effect of light. The nude body is hazy, to serve as a sculptural shape in the play of light and shadow in the overall composition. By Lake Siljan from 1905, on the other hand, is an example of how the subject was eventually exploited and became more explicitly erotic. Here, the woman is facing the spectator frontally, with her body fully exposed. The summer sun is used purely as a spotlight and not for subtle effects.