Rosita c. 1890s

Aristide Maillol created this small terracotta sculpture called ‘Rosita,’ sometime in the first half of the 20th century. Maillol was committed to a classical ideal of harmonious form, looking back to ancient Greece for inspiration. The female nude had long been a central subject in Western art, but by the late 19th century, many artists felt that academic conventions were outmoded. Maillol offered a modern approach to this traditional subject. He turned away from the dramatic, dynamic poses of the past, and created static, simplified figures which are far from the classical era. They lack overt sensuality or eroticism. Maillol's sculptures suggest a return to a more primitive, earthy, and honest representation of the human form. The figure’s solid, grounded presence reflects the social and cultural shifts of the time, such as changing attitudes toward the female body. The study of such shifts in art is reliant on close examination of visual codes, as well as a broader knowledge of the period’s social conditions.