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Torso of a Woman

Artist Aristide Maillol (French, 1861 - 1944)

Dateca. 1925

MediumBronze

DimensionsOverall: 39 3/4 in. (101 cm)

ClassificationsEuropean art

Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number73.32

On View

Not on view

DescriptionThis is a bronze sculpture representing a three-quarter length nude torso of a woman. Her face has eyes that are flat and uncut, without pupil or iris. She has an aquiline nose that is proportionate to her face. The lower part of her ears are visible beneath the sculpted mass of her short hair. She is balanced and proportioned. Her arms are cut off just below the shoulders, reminiscent of Greek statues.

Label TextAristide Maillol French, 1861-1944 Torso of a Woman, ca. 1925 Bronze This sculpture epitomizes Aristide Maillol's vision of the quintessential female form. He favored a mature, full-figured body that reflected the ideals of classical Greece-- universality, symmetry, timeless beauty, and noble detachment. Maillol's works offered a compelling alternative to the emotionally charged, experimental sculpture of his contemporary Auguste Rodin (1840-1917). After arriving in Paris in 1887, he labored to establish himself as a painter and tapestry designer. Only in 1900 when eyestrain forced him to turn exclusively to sculpting did he discover his true vocation. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 73.32