Nymphs in the Lake

In Nymphs in the Lake, Alice establishes the scheme of the work with the foreground trees as vertical elements that are then extended en suite. The horizontal elements begin perpendicularly at the border of the lake, are prolonged along the dock and finally disappear on the far shore. In this scheme, the strident white of the little house leads the eye to the center of the scene. There, four women, the “nymphs” from the work’s title, are spread in a zigzag stepped line, creating a unique sequence of movement. A fifth bather barely appears at the right. Once again, the equilibrium between warm tones (in the voluptuous nude bodies) and cool ones (the intense blue of the lake) are integrated through an ample symphony of magnificently elaborated greens. In this way, the landscape becomes a chorus for the women’s uninhibited sensuality. This painting tells us much more about Alice than his exemplary patriotic canvases.