When we think of the sinking of the Titanic, we think first and foremost of the loss of life, and if nothing else, many luxury items also sank to the depths of the North Atlantic. Among these lost treasures was a priceless work of art: La Circassienne au Bain, a painting by the neoclassical painter Merry-Joseph Blondel.
Carried aboard the liner by its owner, Swedish businessman Mauritz Håkan Björnström-Steffansson, this painting disappeared with the ship on the night of 14 to 15 April 1912. Valued at the time at 100,000 dollars, or more than 2.5 million dollars today, it remains one of the most expensive artistic losses of the disaster. A look back at the little-known story of this vanished masterpiece.
La Circassienne au Bain or La Baigneuse, by Merry-Joseph Blondel
In 1814, the French neoclassical painter Merry-Joseph Blondel (1781-1853) unveiled a work at the Salon du Louvre entitled ” La Circassienne au bain ” also known as ” La Baigneuse” . This large-scale canvas depicts a nude young Circassian woman bathing in an idealised setting from classical antiquity. Although the initial critical reception was reserved, the work gained recognition over the years, thanks in particular to lithographic reproductions, which contributed to its growing popularity.
The loss of the painting when the Titanic sank
Almost a century later, in 1912, the painting belonged to Mauritz Håkan Björnström-Steffansson, a Swedish businessman. On his journey to the United States to further his studies, he boarded the RMS Titanic, taking with him ” La Circassienne au Bain “.
When the liner collided with an iceberg, Björnström-Steffansson helped the other passengers into the lifeboats. He got into the last lifeboat when he saw that many places were empty – in total, only 24 people were able to get into the lifeboat for the 47 places available.
While the businessman was saved, Blondel’s canvas sank, along with the ship, into the depths of the North Atlantic. Ironically, ” La Baigneuse “ will therefore never resurface.
The most expensive item claimed among lost property
After the tragedy, the survivors of the shipwreck filed a claim in January 1913 with the White Star Line, the company that owned the Titanic, for financial compensation. In total, more than 6 million dollars ($150 million today) were claimed.
Björnström-Steffansson estimates the value of Blondel’s painting at $100,000 at the time, making it the most expensive item claimed among the possessions lost in the shipwreck. This sum is equivalent to more than $2.5 million today.
A tragedy that contributed to Blondel’s fame
Although the original is lost forever, reproductions of ” La Circassienne au Bain ” give an idea of what this painting looked like, and this tragedy regularly brings Blondel’s work back into the spotlight.
Incidentally, if you go to the Louvre, remember to look up: one of his canvases, ” The Fall of Icarus” , covers one of the museum’s ceilings.
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