The Bathers by Eric John Youngquist, C. 1920s

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This monumental 1920s oil on canvas, The Bathers, reinterprets William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s renowned 1884 masterpiece through the distinctive vision of Swedish-born … Read more This monumental 1920s oil on canvas, The Bathers, reinterprets William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s renowned 1884 masterpiece through the distinctive vision of Swedish-born artist Eric John Youngquist. Having trained at Stockholm’s School of Fine Arts and becoming a U.S. citizen in 1909, Youngquist quietly shaped the refined interiors of Chicago’s industrial elite, including families like the Pullmans, Armours, and Meyers. Known for his exceptional skill in painting wood to resemble marble and his seamless integration of walls with imported European murals, he was a trusted collaborator of architect David Adler, contributing custom decorative schemes to many of Adler’s celebrated commissions.

In The Bathers, Youngquist preserves the calm composition and spirit of Bouguereau’s original while infusing it with an Art Deco sensibility characteristic of his era: simplified forms, stronger contours, and a more architectural palette. This creates a compelling dialogue between 19th-century romanticism and modernist confidence, blending homage with innovation on an impressive scale. Notably, this painting was acquired from the David Adler–designed Lasker Estate in Lake Forest, Illinois, enriching its provenance and historical significance. See less