Virtual Tour

The affirmation of his style

Maillol decided against producing narrative sculpture, in other words, he chose not to endow it with a historical, literary or religious message. His Venuses and bathers are caught unawares in simple poses, in which the perfection of the forms and the remarkable balance of the proportions are the true theme. It was precisely his architectural concept of sculpture that enabled him, on whatever scale, to preserve the harmony of the proportions at all times..

On viewing Mediterranean, André Gide wrote in 1905: “Maillol has just introduced silence into sculpture”. The artist opened a permanent rift between the old concept of sculpture and a new vision of art based on purification and simplification. From this fissure, modern art in statuary emerged and Maillol became one of its leading exponents.

The Night, 1909
Bronze, 18 x 12 x 14.5 cm
Alexis Rudier, artist proof
Fondation Dina Vierny-Musée Maillol, Paris