Baigneuse debout

Together with Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), Aristide Maillol is one of the most important French sculptors of the late 19th century. His works possess a clear formal language and generally depict classical, resting poses. Maillol makes use of all three basic human poses, sitting, standing, and lying.

The »Female Bather, Standing« is one of the earliest acquisitions for Mannheim’s sculpture collection. In this nude Maillol focuses on a compact, statuesque composition. Like Rodin, he held fast to the human figure as an expressive medium throughout his life. However, in contrast to Rodin’s often ecstatically fluid bodies and their turbulent surfaces his sculptures display closed, clearly structured forms with a uniform smoothness.

Nevertheless, his works have something extremely sensuous about them. During his lifetime the French sculptor’s statues were already treated as modern masterpieces and found their way into the collections of numerous artists. Maillol’s works subsequently exercised a great influence on sculptors of the first half of the 20th century, including Wilhelm Lehmbruck (1881–1919).