Bathers near the sea

'The latter half of John Duncan Fergusson's painting was dominated by his exuberant images of bathers and nudes, which for many hold an enduring appeal. Their vibrant colour and mood of exoticism and sensuality convey his immense love of life and capacity to appreciate its simplest pleasures.' (K. Simister, Living Paint: J. D. Fergusson 1874-1961, Edinburgh, 2001, p. 110) The nude form was an extremely important subject for Fergusson, who, as a self-taught artist, would have had limited access to the life model in his formative years unlike his contemporaries who had received formal art school training. This seemed to ignite a passionate and pure response to the human form that is so associated with Fergusson's finest work.