I did not expect to see any, "Bathers" in an art gallery... and like it!

At the Baltimore Museum of Art, I came across the oil on canvas painting, "Bathers," by Paul Cezanne. The French artist painted the work from 1898-1900.
Initially, the way the trees were painted with groupings of brush strokes to add depth and shadow drew me into the picture. Once I was closer to the work, I noticed that there were even more bathing figures than I had originally perceived, and that the background contained a small house, fields, and the shadows of mountains in the distance. The form of the bathers was precise enough to see the curvature of each figures' muscles, yet not so defined as to take away from the natural easiness and simplicity that the painting conveyed. The outlining of the figures, and lack of facial features or hair added a sense of mystery yet cleanliness. Maybe the reason that Cezanne chose to represent the figure
in this manner was to subtly signify cleanliness since they were bathing. The muscles and trunks of the trees are strong, yet the branches of the trees and arms of the bathers are softer and more flexible in form; the juxtaposition is pleasant.
The colors used in the piece are cool, except for the ones in the foreground used in the closest bathers and the sunlit ground. In the shade, especially by the river has the darkest hues of blue, grey, green, and brown, possibly to signify the temperature of the river in contrast with the warm bodies by it.
The overall composition is pleasing to the eye. The orientation and implied movement of the figures, the use of small L-shapes, the leading lines created by branches, bodies, and space leads the eye just to the center of the painting. The three figures in the middle draw the eye between and beyond them to more bathers who are in the river, the house and field in the background, and then finally to the mountains and sky in the background.
There is a sense of harmony and easiness in this painting that calms me and makes me want to breathe in cool crisp air and just watch the world go by around me. This is why it is my favorite piece that I saw that afternoon.