Leda Bathing (Léda au bain)
1913
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 10.8 x 13.9 cm (4 1/4 x 5 1/2 in.) sheet: 13.7 x 20.1 cm (5 3/8 x 7 15/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bell, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Accession Number
1990.95.32
Art Historical Context
**Leda Bathing (Léda au bain)**, created by French artist Albert Besnard in 1913, captures the timeless myth of Leda, the Spartan queen bathed in ethereal grace. Besnard, a leading figure in fin-de-siècle French art known for his elegant murals and portraits, reimagines this classical subject—often depicted in Renaissance works by artists like Correggio—with a modern, intimate sensibility. The etching portrays Leda in a serene bathing scene, evoking sensuality and vulnerability amid mythological allure, a theme that bridged antiquity and early 20th-century Symbolist influences in Besnard's oeu...
About the Artist
Albert Besnard
Paul-Albert Besnard, known as Albert Besnard, was born on June 2, 1849, in Paris to an artistic family: his father, Louis Adolphe Ferdinand Besnard, was a history painter and pupil of Ingres, while his mother, Marie Louise Pauline Vaillant, was a noted miniaturist trained under Lizinska de Mirbel. Precociously talented, he began his training under Jean-François Brémond before entering the École de...