About the Exhibition

Healthy bodies enjoying bathing in pastoral scenery full of sunshine, or a private scene of a closed room with a relaxed body in a bathtub… Whether outdoor waterside of rivers, lakes and seashore, or indoor bathrooms, there are many artworks showing bathing people. Indeed, bathing was a traditional subject of European art derived from Greek myths and Biblical stories. While maintaining the stereotype of presenting the naked body of a woman seen while bathing, the motif underwent changes of its significance in and after the nineteenth century as modern society and art evolved.

Stories unfolding from the contact between the body and water may conceal not just sensual desire for the naked body, but also radical themes connected to the relationship between humans and nature, or to life and death. Taking a broader view to put contemporary art in perspective, this exhibition aims to re-examine the rich variations of bathing motifs and their present-day significance through 51 pieces from our collection.

Exhibition Catalogue

Hours & Admissions

Location

Gallery 4 (2nd Floor)

Duration

2010.2.20(Sat)～4.11(Sun)

Hours

10:00-17:00 (Friday is 10:00-20:00)
*Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.

Closed

Closed on Mondays (except March 22 and 29) and March 23

Admission

Adults ¥420 (210)
College and university students ¥130 (70)

*Including the admission fee for Permanent Collection.
*The price in brackets is for the group of 20 persons or more.
*All prices include tax.

*Free for high school students, under 18, seniors (65 and over), Campus Members, MOMAT passport holders.
*Persons with disability and one person accompanying them are admitted free of charge.

Free Admission Days (Collection Gallery and Gallery 4 only)

Free on March 7 and April 4.

Organized by

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo