Bathing Place, St. Valery

Art Historical Context

Miner Kilbourne Kellogg’s 1862 drawing *Bathing Place, St. Valery* invites viewers into a tranquil scene of leisure at Saintery-sur-Somme, France. The work depicts figures enjoying the waters near a distinctive tower and flag, capturing the everyday recreation that drew visitors to this coastal town in the mid-nineteenth century. As a drawing, the piece highlights Kellogg’s ability to suggest light, movement, and atmosphere with economical lines and subtle tonal effects. Created during a period when American artists frequently traveled abroad, the drawing reflects the growing fascination with European seaside resorts as places of health and relaxation. The inclusion of the tower and flag anchors the scene in a specific locale, offering modern audiences a window into how nineteenth-century travelers experienced the French coast. Now part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection through the bequest of Martha F. Butler, this work preserves a quiet moment of nineteenth-century recreation rendered with the intimate immediacy unique to drawing.