Baigneuses 1912

Nasreddine Dinet made "Baigneuses" in an unknown year, likely with oil on canvas, based on the look of it. The paint job is smooth and controlled, with warm tones that make me think of bodies in sunlight. Looking at the surface, you can see how Dinet built up the forms with careful shading. Check out the way the light hits the back of the figure on the right, how he uses these tiny strokes to define the muscles and bones. It's like he’s sculpting with the brush, using the paint to create this almost tangible sense of flesh and blood. Dinet’s process feels almost academic, especially when you compare him to someone like Delacroix, or even Renoir. There’s a sensuality, sure, but it's very deliberate. For me, these bathers feel less like a spontaneous moment and more like a carefully constructed fantasy. Which, in painting, is always the case to some extent.