Second Book: Methymnaean Carrying Chloe Away (Chloe enlevee par le Methymnien) Possibly 1937

This piece, "Second Book: Methymnaean Carrying Chloe Away" by Aristide Maillol, feels like a classical myth told with simple lines, made in a style that reminds me of Matisse. I imagine Maillol making this and thinking about weight, balance, and how to capture a whole story with a minimal gesture. What I love about this picture is the dynamism of the composition. The linear work has a graphic quality, but the starkness of the line makes it feel like it could be from any era. Look at the way that he has captured the sense of struggle and movement, even though it is static and still! The Methymnaean might be a kidnapper but there’s something almost balletic about how he holds Chloe. Maillol is playing with our sympathies, letting us feel the drama but also appreciate the elegant tension between these two figures. It is a snapshot of a moment, a question, and a way to share a myth. It is not an answer.