Petite Fille des Landes 1904

Charles Despiau made this petite sculpture, molding and carving, coaxing this head into being. The artist's hands moved over the clay, pinching the features, rounding the cheek, hollowing out the eyes, and I can imagine the tenderness and care in each touch, as he captures the young girl's delicate, soft form. I see echoes of Rodin in the realism of this head, but also something of the simplified forms of early modernism. And the pose is so classical, yet so fresh. You know, the way he rendered the light, and gave her just a little Mona Lisa–like smile. Artists are always in conversation with each other, reaching across time and space to find inspiration. This sculpture reminds us that art is about seeing and feeling and thinking, all at once.