Lot 146: ARISTIDE MAILLOL

ARISTIDE MAILLOL 1861 - 1944 BAIGNEUSE DEBOUT Inscribed with the artist's monogram, numbered 3/6 and inscribed with the foundry mark E. Godard Fondeur Paris Bronze height: 31 in. 78.8 cm Conceived in 1907 and cast at a later date in an edition of 6.

Perls Gallery, New York
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, May 11, 1988, lot 316
Acquired at the above sale

No other theme is as synonymous with the sculpture of Maillol as the female nude. In the 1890s, the artist shifted his focus from paintings and tapestries to sculpture, the medium which would dominate his oeuvre for the rest of his life. His work began with the subject of clothed figures, but he soon moved beyond the rendering of drapery to concentrate on the elegance and grace of the body. His conception of the female figure was characterized by gentle swells and powerful stature. The current work, conceived in 1907, is a superior example of the artist's understanding of the female form.

The most frequent model for the women of Maillol's oeuvre was the beautiful Dina Vierny (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Aristide Maillol and Dina Vierny, January 1944, photo by Louis Carré