The Bath House is rightly known as a precious masterpiece of Schwetzingen's palace gardens. Elector Carl Theodor had this retreat built between 1768 and 1772. The Regent devotes himself to literature, music and private conversation.
The Elector enjoyed quiet times here.
This small but perfectly formed building stands one story high on a rectangular floor plan. When the doors are open, the structure of the small pleasure lodge on the north-south axis between the pool of water-spouting birds and the Temple of Apollo is evident. To the east, the view opens onto a lawn area with a bell fountain. Lattice work, walls and hedges protected Electors seeking solitude from the curious looks of the royal household.
The Bath House can be entered via two entrances on opposite sides. In the centre, a beautiful oval room serves as the foyer. Nicolas Guibal created the ceiling fresco “Aurora Casts out the Night.” The painter created it using his art of making the ceiling appear to open up to the morning dawn. The carefully restored painting symbolizes the progression of time, which man cannot escape.
The Oval Room in the Bath House.
From the Oval Room, anterooms artistically adorned with stucco marble lead to the Elector's private rooms. The study is elaborately furnished. In one of the alcoves flanked by columns is a chaise longue. Landscape paintings by Ferdinand Kobell adorn the walls.
The Elector bathed in stylish surroundings.
A fascinating high point of the Bath House is the bathroom with an oval marble bath tub set into the floor. It was filled via two snake-shaped lead pipes through which water heated in the nearby Bath House kitchen was fed. The walls are designed like a grotto with stucco and semi-precious stones. A nice detail: a skylight in the ceiling provided light and ventilation.
Putti eating fruit: bright, summery décor in the Elector's peaceful retreat.
