"His series of paintings showing bathers present one of the great dreams of mankind, the dream of union with Nature, the longing for an earthly paradise."
from 'Cezanne' by Hajo Duchting, Tachen 1999.
Matisse refused to sell the piece through periods of financial challenges.
"In the thirty-seven years I have owned this canvas...in the critical moments of my venture as an artist it has restored my spirit; it has been the source of my belief and my endurance."
