Boathouse Baths on the River Seine

The French painter and draftsman Lucien Ott is best known for his landscapes and cityscapes. He favored views along the Seine and was particularly drawn to daily life on the river and quays. Here, he depicted a group of barges and houseboats at the foot of a suspension bridge. We might be looking at the small town of Triel-sur-Seine, 40 kilometers northwest of Paris. It opened public hot baths, or bains chauds, on a river barge in 1908, a rare luxury in the countryside during this period.