Aristide Maillol (French, 1861–1944) was an influential Catalan sculptor, best known for his classicizing depictions of femininity. Born in Banyuls-sur-Mer, he moved to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts under
Jean-Léon Gérôme (French, 1824–1904). Encouraged by
Paul Gauguin (French, 1848–1903), Maillol began his artistic studies in tapestry design before going on to make his earliest sculptures out of
terracotta, stone, and wood. Maillol later started casting sculptures in bronze in the style of Henry Moore and Alberto Giacometti.
Maillol’s work almost exclusively depicts the
female figure, abstracted into simplified forms with strong lines, standing autonomously from any architectural context. In 1975, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum held a career retrospective of Maillol’s work. His sculptures are included in collections worldwide, including the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington D.C., the Musée d''''''''Orsay and the Maillol Museum in Paris, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Additionally, three of Maillol’s bronzes are exhibited at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.