Daphnis en Chloë tijdens de oogst 1937

Aristide Maillol made this woodcut, Daphnis en Chloë tijdens de oogst, on paper. It's a process, right? I mean, first you have an idea, and then you have to figure out how to transfer it to the woodblock. Then, the labor of carving, a kind of slow reveal, the inverse of drawing! And look at the way Maillol uses the black ink— it’s so rich and velvety. You can almost feel the texture of the wood grain. I love how he’s carved away at the block to create these figures, these almost abstracted forms nestled amongst the grapes and leaves. It’s all about the contrast between light and shadow. The negative space does just as much work as the positive. I'm reminded of Gauguin and his woodcuts of Tahitian life, the way he used the medium to create these really powerful, simplified images. Art is a conversation, and Maillol is adding his voice to it, grappling with form and beauty. Ultimately, it’s up to us to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the table.