Aristide Maillol (1861-1944). The quest for harmony

Written in French.

Initially a painter, Maillol turned to tapestry and the decorative arts. Little known, this first part of his career, during which he looked at Gauguin and Puvis de Chavannes and forged close links with the Nabis, shows an artist eager to rediscover the principles of mural decoration.
He only discovered sculpture around 1895, initially on wood and of small dimensions: Octave Mirbeau and Ambroise Vollard among others recognised its qualities.
The Mediterranean made for Count Kessler appears to be the manifesto of the "return to order", of which Maillol is a major player: proscribing any search for expression, he establishes a new classicism and inscribes female bodies, with their robust and sensual anatomy, in simple geometric forms.
Maillol passe avec aisance de l'esquisse au monumental, dans des allers-retours continuels. L'imposant Monument à Cézanne invite à plonger dans son processus créateur, avant les grandes figures, aboutissement d'un parcours dans lequel la recherche d'une perfection formelle tient une place essentielle.

Exhibition at the musée d'Orsay from April 12th 2022 to August 21st 2022

Written in French.
352 pages

Coédition Gallimard / Musée d'Orsay