Bath Houses near Saltsjobaden, Sweden 

Muirhead Bone created this watercolor of bath houses near Saltsjobaden, Sweden. While the exact date is unknown, Bone lived through both World Wars. We might imagine Bone's interest in the bathing houses stemming from a desire to portray sites of leisure and health, a stark contrast to the grim realities of war. Bathing scenes throughout art history often become sites for exploring the nude body, class, and gender. However, here, the figures are small, at a distance. Instead, the architecture and landscape take precedence. This refrains from the traditional voyeuristic or idealized representations often associated with bath scenes. Bone's choice of watercolor gives the scene a soft, almost dreamlike quality. This invites us to consider the painting not just as a depiction of a place, but as an emotional experience, reflecting perhaps a longing for peace, or a gentle critique of leisure during times of conflict.