Bath Beneath the Waterfall

Bad under fossen (2010)

Watercolor and gouache on paper
Sigurd Bergmann

In Bad under fossen — Bath Beneath the Waterfall — Sigurd Bergmann merges nature and myth in a vivid, symbolic vision. Painted in 2010, this work steps into the realm of the archetypal: a lone figure bathes beneath a cascading waterfall, framed by wild forest and steep cliffs, her golden skin glowing with warmth and strength.

The composition is centered and theatrical, almost ritualistic. The waterfall flows with raw vertical energy, while vibrant foliage and mountain peaks create a sense of enclosure — like a sacred grove. The female figure stands calmly in the middle of it all, part of the landscape yet apart from it. Her presence is luminous, almost otherworldly — a symbol of purity, transformation, or perhaps defiance.

Using rich, opaque gouache for intensity and contrast, Sigurd departs from his usual soft realism here and enters a more symbolic and visionary style. Bad under fossen is not just a scene, but a story — a moment of elemental connection between human and nature, body and spirit.