The upside-down bather seen from above makes Nude in the Bath one of Bonnard’s most remarkable and innovative compositions. It forces us to float above the intimate scene. Such glimpses of private moments at home are typical of Bonnard’s work. From other paintings the nude is identifiable as Marthe (Maria Boursin), the painter’s companion, and the second figure entering from the left as Bonnard himself. Marthe treated her chronic throat infection with frequent baths, which provided the painter with a variety of snatched instants.