Liggende nøgen kvinde 1910 - 1914

This reclining nude by Aristide Maillol, a small terracotta, looks like it was made just for handling. There’s an earthy quality to the material and the colour, a pinky beige, that recalls ancient Greek sculpture. The surface is kind of dusty, the texture rough, like a well-worn pebble you might find on the beach. The hand is raised, bent awkwardly behind the head, but is also graceful somehow. And you can really see the artist’s fingerprints and the marks of the tools, which are pretty intimate. The process of building up the form is really on show here. Maillol wasn't the only one thinking about the body in this way, Picasso was also exploring similar themes at this time, both looking back to classical traditions and making something new. And, like the best art, it embraces the beauty of imperfection.