Maillol, Aristide (ärēstēd` mäyôl`), 1861–1944, French sculptor, woodcut artist, and painter. At first a painter, Maillol studied at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, and then allied himself with the Nabis Nabis (näbē`) [Heb.,=prophets], a group of artists in France active during the 1890s.
..... Click the link for more information. . In his forties he turned to sculpture and quickly developed his characteristic style, creating strong, energetic nude figures of women. His affinity to classical sculpture was strengthened by a trip to Greece in 1908. Maillol's massive nudes were idealized, yet endowed with robustness and an impressive controlled tension. The River and several other works are in the Museum of Modern Art, New York City. Maillol also made woodcuts illustrating Daphnis and Chloë and the works of Ovid and Vergil. A museum devoted mainly to his works opened in Paris in 1995.

Bibliography

See his catalogue raisonné (in French) by M. Guérin (2 vol., 1965–67); his woodcuts, ed. by J. Rewald (1943); biography by J. Rewald (1975).

Maillol, Aristide

(born Dec. 8, 1861, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France—died Sept. 27, 1944, near Banyuls-sur-Mer) French sculptor, painter, and printmaker. He was a painter and tapestry designer until he was almost 40, when eyestrain persuaded him to turn to sculpture. He rejected the highly emotional style of Auguste Rodin and attempted to preserve and purify the Classical sculpture of Greece and Rome. Most of his works depict the mature female form and are characterized by emotional restraint, clear composition, and serene surfaces. After 1910 he was internationally famous and never lacked commissions. He resumed painting later in life and produced excellent woodcut illustrations for fine editions of Latin poets, but he remained preeminently a sculptor.