Ovid's "The Art of Love" ("L'art d'aimer" d'Ovide) 1935

Aristide Maillol made this drawing, "Ovid's 'The Art of Love'," with a sanguine crayon, and you can see how the hatching of the lines builds up the form. It’s all about process, each line adding to the weight and volume. Looking at the drawing, you can see the texture of the paper coming through, which gives it a kind of warmth. The color, that reddish-brown, it's earthy and sensual. Notice the way the lines around the figure's thigh and torso aren’t perfectly smooth. They’re a bit scratchy, almost like he’s feeling his way around the form. That's where the real magic happens, in those little hesitations and adjustments. It's like he’s thinking through the drawing, right there on the page. Maillol’s got that classical vibe going on, sort of like Renoir but with a more grounded, sculptural feel. He's not just copying what he sees; he's really digging into the essence of form. It’s like a conversation across time, where the art of love is always being re-imagined.