Master of geometric body analysis

He began sculpting comparatively late, but then left an even greater mark on it: Aristide Maillol (1861-1944) began making sculptures when he was in his mid-thirties. They were small-format and made of wood or terracotta, followed in 1905 by his first important monumental work La Méditerranée (The Mediterranean). Maillol focused on female nudes whose postures were based on geometric analysis. His sculptures were of decisive importance for subsequent sculptors of abstraction. The Kunsthaus Zürich now brings together over 200 exhibits in the exhibition Aristide Maillol. The Search for Harmony, which runs from 7 October to 22 January. In addition to sculptures, the Kunsthaus is also shedding light on Maillol's lesser-known early work, which consists of paintings and elaborate tapestries.

Maillol's new understanding of body representation goes hand in hand with a traditional art theme, the (female) nude. One section of the exhibition compares Maillol's Vénus au collier (Venus with Necklace) with other depictions of undressed women by female artists from Classicism to the present. The exhibition catalogue contains an accompanying essay by Catherine McCormack, which places Maillol's nudes in a historical context and compares them to the way they are understood today.