Studies of Female Bathers was one of the 42 sculptures and 51 drawings included in Moore’s first solo exhibition at the Warren Gallery, London, in 1928. The subject was inspired by Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) and, in particular, the painting Les Grandes Baigneuses (1898-1905), which Moore had seen in the Pellerin Collection during a visit to Paris in 1922. However, this study was drawn years later, probably from a photograph. The drawing was bought by the painter Henry Lamb (1883-1960). The fact that established artists like Lamb, Jacob Epstein (1880-1959) and Augustus John (1878-1961) acquired work from his first exhibition boosted Moore’s confidence and made him feel accepted by the London art world.