Take the plunge with these swimming-inspired works of art

From nude bathers to a sculpture you can take a dip in, here are a few of our favourites

© Tate

Duncan Grant, Bathing, 1911

This beautiful image depicting athletic male nudes was painted by the Bloomsbury Modernist Duncan Grant as part of a scheme of pictures designed for the student dining hall of Borough Polytechnic, London. For inspiration, he looked to the anatomical precision of Michelangelo and the male-only swimming pond that used to exist at the Serpentine. Although nude bathing (for men) was quite common at the time, immortalising such a scene in a mural was still a controversial act. The stunning lines and fluid movement can also be interpreted as one figure in several stages of motion as he dives from shore to boat. 

On show at Tate Britain in Walk Through British Art

Photo Alan Pollock, courtesy Jupiter Artland

Joana Vasconcelos, Gateway, 2019

This work of art is also a fully functioning swimming pool, where visitors can book to take a dip (don’t worry, it’s heated). It is the brainchild of Joana Vasconcelos (a former Arts Society Magazine cover star) who is known for creating joyful and monumental sculptures. The spiralling design is made up of 11,366 hand-painted and glazed tiles sourced from her native Portugal, and while the design might seem like an intuitive loop, it actually intersects with the ley lines that lie within the Scottish sculpture park. 

Take a dip at Jupiter Artland

George Frederic Watts, A Greek Idyll, 1894

This scene taken from Ovid’s Metamorphoses depicts an embrace between the Sicilian shepherd Acis and the sea nymph Galatea. However, Galatea’s companions appear more like a gaggle of paddling toddlers than fellow mythological creatures. As a Symbolist, George Frederic Watts was known for his allegorical work, but he was not without a sense of humour. He painted another version of this painting, inscribing the word ‘afloat!’ in allusion to his group of bobbing water babies. 

See this work at Manchester Art Gallery

Cornelia Parker, Folkestone Mermaid, 2012

Taking the sculpture of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen as its starting point, Cornelia Parker’s updated interpretation presents a more multifaceted view of contemporary womanhood. Though she is not swimming in this moment, the statue’s slick hair and shining body make it clear she has just left the water. She looks on at the horizon, contemplating its vastness. The bronze piece was conceived for the Folkestone Triennial, and the artist used Georgina Baker, a local mother of two, as her model.

Visit Folkestone’s many open-air sculptures

Courtesy the artist and Gallery 1957

Modupeola Fadugba, Dreams from the Deep End, 2018

Nigerian artist Modupeola Fadugba had long been fascinated with swimming when she embarked on a residency at the International Studio & Curatorial Program in New York. However, it was here that she met the Harlem Honeys and Bears, an all-black senior citizen synchronised swimming group that became the focus of her work. While getting into the water with members, she learned how important this activity was, not only for exercise but for friendship, companionship and solidarity. Using a distinct palette of red and gold, she celebrates these individuals enjoying their time at the pool, whether it be perfecting a move or simply chatting at the water’s edge.

See more of the artist's work online