Wave
1896
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
Artist
Aristide Maillol
Aristide Joseph Bonaventure Maillol was a French Catalan sculptor, painter, and printmaker.
See the richer artist page1896
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Wave is a 1896 by Aristide Maillol, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a naked woman curled inside a giant, foamy wave. Maillol borrowed the wave’s shape from Japanese prints—especially Hokusai’s famous woodcut—but turned it into a cozy nest instead of a threat. The white body looks solid and still, while the dark lines of the water twist around it like ribbons. If you like how he played with curves and space, look up Aristide Maillol (French, 1861–1944).
The color woodcuts of Katsushika Hokusai were highly esteemed. One of his most famous prints, The Great Wave off Kanagawa (1823-31), is a striking image of an enormous cresting wave. Maillol exploited the curling water motif to achieve an energetic linear design that surrounds and cushions the nude woman but also creates a lively contrast to the large, flat white shape of her body. A precursor to Maillol's future work as a sculptor, Wave reveals the artist's interest in conveying the sensual curves of the female form.
This print dates from a period when Aristide Maillol used his wife, Clotilde, as his primary model.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Aristide Joseph Bonaventure Maillol was a French Catalan sculptor, painter, and printmaker.
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