Woman with crab before 1913

Aristide Maillol made this bronze sculpture, *Woman with Crab,* sometime during his career. I see this squatting figure and think about how it might feel to make such a thing. The touch of the artist's hand is everywhere, isn’t it? I imagine the artist, Maillol, working intuitively, coaxing this form out of the bronze. I can almost feel the weight of it. Think about how Maillol explored the tactile qualities of sculpture, creating a surface that catches the light. Her rounded, simplified forms are so sensual and earthy. There’s this tension between the rough texture of the base and the smooth skin of the figure. Maillol’s simplified forms and focus on the human body remind me of other sculptors like Rodin, who were also interested in capturing movement and emotion through form. Ultimately, I love how sculpture communicates feeling, intention, and meaning without being too literal.