Which Rembrandt painting depicts the biblical heroine Bathsheba?

Rembrandt’s painting of the biblical heroine Bathsheba is titled Bathsheba at Her Bath.

Rembrandt completed the oil painting in 1654. It shows Bathsheba seated after receiving a letter from King David, who has seen her bathing and desires her. The story comes from the Second Book of Samuel, where David’s actions lead to the death of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah.

The painting is notable for concentrating on Bathsheba’s private emotional moment rather than illustrating the entire biblical narrative. The letter in her hand and the attendant behind her provide clues to the story, while the warm, subdued lighting creates a deeply introspective mood.

The model is often identified as Hendrickje Stoffels, Rembrandt’s partner, though that identification remains a scholarly attribution rather than a certainty. The painting is housed in the Louvre in Paris and is one of the museum’s important Rembrandt works.