Fourth Book: Daphnis and Chloe (Groupe de Daphnis et Chloe) Possibly 1937

Aristide Maillol made this print called "Fourth Book: Daphnis and Chloe" with what looks like a lithographic crayon, a greasy kind of pencil. It’s really all about the line, and how that line defines the forms of these two figures. The figures almost seem to emerge from the paper, like a dream, and the color is so subtle it makes the bodies feel soft and human. See how the lines are not perfect or continuous? There’s a bit of wavering and interruption, like Maillol was feeling his way around the shapes, trying to find them, rather than just tracing them. Look at the way the drapery falls around Chloe's legs: those lines are so simple, but they really give you the sense of the fabric folding and moving. It's like he's saying, 'Here, this is enough. You fill in the rest.' Isn’t that the best thing about art, anyway? That it lets you participate, and bring your own imagination to the table?