Bathsheba at the Bath

This is a preparatory drawing for a large and now lost painting depicting the Biblical story of how King David spied on and later committed adultery with his general's wife Bathsheba. The painting was commissioned in 1640 by the Bolognese nobleman Count Astorre Hercolani who paid Guercino 375 scudi for it.

It is clear from the visible 'pentimenti' (earlier, crossed out or covered marks) that Guercino continuously changed his mind in imagining the story of King David's adultery with Bathsheba. Originally Bathsheba's head was turned round, deliberately catching the eye of the king. Guercino fiercely scrubbed this out, hiding it under a bushy tree. This may have been because the assertive action does not coincide with Bathsheba's mostly passive role in the story. In the final painting the position of King David had also been moved from right to left, from where he would gain a view of Bathsheba's seductive breasts.