Daphnis tilt Chloë op 1937

This woodcut is by Aristide Maillol. It's called 'Daphnis tilt Chloë op.' I think that was probably made with a knife, cutting into a block of wood, a reductive process. I can feel his hand pushing against the wood, carving away the negative space to leave these figures standing out in relief. Look at the way the figures are intertwined, their bodies almost merging into one another, surrounded by the stark contrast of the black lines and white space. It's as if Maillol is trying to get at something essential about the human form, stripping away all the unnecessary details to reveal the raw emotion. I imagine Maillol lost in thought, contemplating the classical ideas that resonated with him. It reminds me of Gauguin and other artists who were trying to find a more honest, authentic way of representing the world. These artists engage in a continuous dialogue, challenging and inspiring one another.